No One Else
by Jini
Summary: The war has finally ended and peace has once again been restored. However, Aang still has one last battle left to finish… and that’s to tell Katara how he feels. Hm… better said than done. [Kataang] [Part 3 of 4]
1. Words still Unspoken

Summary: The war has finally ended and peace has once again been restored. However, Aang still has one last battle left to finish… and that's to tell Katara how he feels. Hm… better said than done.

Author's Note: This is only a three to four part story, so it's very short. Anyways this fic is purely Kataang fluff with implied Zutara. Please read and enjoy at your own risk! (Grins)

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**No One Else**

**Chapter One: Words still Unspoken**

The Southern Air Temple was a truly beautiful place to be; it had grown even more beautiful after four years of fighting in the war. Aang stared at the statue of his old master Gyatso with a smile.

"I did it, Master," he said. "I restored peace to the nations… just as you'd wanted me to."

It wasn't something he enjoyed remembering; he'd barely made it out there alive with burns and wounds that would take weeks to mend. Fire Nation's fortress was powerful and just entering the borders alone was difficult. It was always during those darkest times when he'd wished he wasn't the Avatar, wished that millions of people weren't counting him, and wished he wasn't the born savior of the world. However, he'd defeated the Fire Lord and restored peace, finally, but was on the brink of death. Needless to say, his survival was a miracle all on its own.

Aang bowed his head, but then he let his mind slip – it was typical and not something anyone, nor the statue of his dead master, would ever find out of the ordinary. Even during training of his olden days with his fellow Nomads, it was always difficult for him to retain his attention to only one thing. The Avatar sighed, as dramatic and prolonging as it was humanly possible, causing Momo to stare at him in curiosity, Appa to heave a great big yawn (but otherwise, unbothered) and several of the birds from the trees to scatter. "But… I still have one last problem…" he muttered.

And he let his eyes shift towards the two figures who were playing airball, or rather… at the girl who was bending the water and hurtling it towards her brother, who dodged the attack in the last minute; he sent his sister a heated glare and grumbled something Aang could make out. The girl simply laughed at her brother's sarcastic comments, throwing her head back as she shook with mirth. This small action alone caused Aang to be entranced completely by her, even from a distance Aang could not help but marvel just how incredibly beautiful she was.

"Katara…" he murmured, sighing, getting lost in his daydreams again.

She was most especially gorgeous when she smiled, her blue eyes lighting like glistening water – absolutely breath-taking. Aang couldn't count the many times he'd seen that smile and was rendered speechless. He felt, even now, like he didn't have enough air in him to breathe, to stay alive and coming from a skilled air bender such as himself, that was saying a lot. He couldn't comprehend when such a flimsy crush a few years back soon developed into something so much deeper than all his 100 years of slept wisdom could ever properly put into words.

It was as though she felt his eyes on her, Katara looked up, saw that he was looking at her and waved, a smile gracing her features. Aang shook from his reverie, smiled back (as casually as he could) and waved. Katara went back to her brother Sokka, who was spitting water from his mouth, a look akin to annoyance on his face.

Aang sighed heavily and looked back to his Master, as though the statue had just seen everything and understood.

"You see?" he said. "I love her and yet I have no idea how to tell her! What do I do?"

The statue didn't say anything, which made Aang feel like he should elaborate.

"I don't know how to describe it…" he said quietly, sitting down. "She's the most amazing person I've ever met; brave, strong, smart and beautiful…" He smiled as fond memories resurfaced. "She's saved me quite a few times and has never stopped believing in me… even during the times when I'd stopped believing in myself. I'd do anything for her…anything…"

The statue gave no reply, causing Aang to sigh again, this time in defeat.

"What am I doing? I'm talking to a chunk of rock –" He realized what he'd just said and abruptly sat up, bowing profusely until he was dizzy. "Ah! I'm sorry, Master – I didn't mean it like that, I swear! I just thought – I mean… oh never mind…" he finished lamely, after realizing that he was making blatant excuses to a statue. He dropped back onto the ground and turned his eyes skyward, a color that made him think (no surprise) of a certain someone. "Master, what do I do? I'm going crazy…"

"Going crazy? Oh my… whatever about?"

Aang sat forward like a dashboard and was met with a pair of teasing blue eyes. He froze, unprepared for this and unprepared for the close proximity with, of all people, Katara. She seemed oblivious to the faint reddening of his cheeks and peered at his face, coming closer if that was possible, and causing Aang to feel light-headed by the smell of her scent.

"Aang, are you alright?" she said, frowning. She placed a hand over his forehead. "You're a bit warm… are you okay?"

Coming back to his senses, Aang pulled away, casting his grey eyes elsewhere.

"Aahha…" he said nervously. "Of course I'm okay! I mean why wouldn't I be okay? If I wasn't okay then I wouldn't be okay, which I am so therefore I can't not not be okay… or… is that I can't _not_ be okay so I must be… argh… never mind! I'm confusing myself!" He looked at Katara, who was looked just as confused as he was. He gave her a smile. "Heh… sorry about that…"

Katara giggled. "It's okay," she said. Aang sighed in relief; that was what he loved about her… she was never quick to judge, especially someone who was dorky and not quite settled on two feet as him.

"By the way Zuko is inviting us for dinner tomorrow evening," she said.

"Zuko?" Aang repeated, suddenly coming out of his reveries.

"Yes," said Katara, "Prince Zuko. He's holding an annual celebration in honor of our victory."

"I see," he said, his eyes narrowing.

Aang noted that she was always blushing any time the mere fire bender was mentioned. He did know that at some point during those last four years Katara and Zuko had a fling going on of some sort, where they'd argue, tell each other how much they despised one another and settled it with a heated duel that went on for hours, but Aang knew how Katara had felt… and knew how Zuko had felt. Aang had never voiced this out before but he hated it, not in the same way Sokka hated it – but _hated_ it so vehemently that each time Katara ran off he'd nearly broken whatever it was he'd been holding at the time. He felt sick of all the times they went off together, felt so passionately jealous that every time Katara smiled it'd been for Zuko and not for him.

Then eventually…Katara had just stopped seeing him, Zuko stopped coming to visit and their expanded training time together grew inexistent to either one of them. Aang had to wonder why. He remembered Katara making her way back to their camp one late night, running and half-stumbling, her hair a mess… _she_ was a mess. He was barely awake when he spotted her stepping into her sleeping bag; she was trembling and he could distinctly hear the mingled sobs that were emanating from her.

"Katara, what's the matter?" he had asked, despite his bleary vision and his half-awaken state. He was still aware of her presence.

"N-Nothing…" she had whispered. Her back had been turned to him to hide her face, but Aang knew. Still half asleep he'd reached out for her, his hand coming to gently touch her shoulder, pulling her to face him. There had been tears running down her face and whether or not he'd been aware of it at that time or not, he'd wiped them away with a gentle flick of his thumb.

"Whatever it is," he'd told her, "you know I'm here for you. I'll never leave your side." He yawned. "I promise."

He thought he saw Katara smile and she took his hand in hers, intertwining their fingers. He was vaguely aware that she had stepped out of her sleeping bag, vaguely aware of his own actions as he lifted up the blanket to let her in… was vaguely aware as she leaned her head on his shoulder and cuddled her face at the crook of his neck. He felt her tears against his skin, and without thinking he'd pulled her closer; his hands wrapping around her as she sighed, her breaths slowing down, meaning she was deep asleep, her fingers still laced with his.

He barely remembered brushing her hair aside, wiping the last of her tears before he, too, was sound asleep. Aang couldn't remember whether he'd dreamed the whole thing or not because by the time he woke up, Katara was awake, packing her sleeping bag while Sokka prepared Appa for their departure.

Katara had never spoken about that night and neither did he. And now, here she was, speaking of her former love interest with a flushing face. Aang had to suppress the urge to scowl at the sight, but failed horribly.

"Oh," he said, his voice uncharacteristically bitter, "that's nice."

But it wasn't nice at all. Aang knew that Zuko still harbored feelings for Katara (who wouldn't? She was so beautiful!), but that was the least of his worries. The question was: did Katara still have feelings for Zuko? And watching as she avoided his eyes, her face the color of a ripe tomato, it made convincing himself that she didn't a whole lot more difficult.

"And Toph will be there too," she said, changing the subject. "That should be interesting! She said she looks forward to seeing – err I mean… meeting you again, Aang."

Toph… Aang thought in remembrance… the earth bender that had been his teacher for a period of time during his travels and as well as had nearly killed him in the process. She may have been blind but she was no pushover. Pointless to say the memory was bittersweet; he still had bruises on his bruises where she'd last thrown a chunk of granite at him!

"Really," said Aang dryly. "I bet that's just her way of saying she wants another spar with me." _Another way of saying she wants me to sprout another bruise on my head…hmph! _

Katara laughed, causing Aang to whip his head at an impossible angle, totally distracted by this. "Yeah, I guess your right," she said. "But that _is_ Toph for you."

"Yeah…" said Aang, barely aware of what he was saying now, "…I'm there for you…" Katara gave him a strange look. Aang, realizing what he'd just said, quickly amended, the color of his face on the brink of a hot red, "Uh… yeah! T-That would be something Toph would do! Y-You know her… always ready to kick my butt! Hehehe…" he trailed off, mentally slapping himself on the head for such a lame excuse.

Then he noticed Katara was looking away, her expression suddenly tired and terribly… sad. He came to her side at once.

"Hey… what's the matter?" he asked, concerned.

"I just… can't believe it's finally over," she said softly. She was peering over the edge, where the clouds were endless and the bottom couldn't be seen for miles. Aang looked over the edge too, knowing exactly what she was talking about. "I wished I could have said goodbye to my father is all before well…you know…" Katara bit her lip, trying to push down tears and emotions from resurfacing.

Aang saw this and on impulse, or maybe it was something else – he'll never really know – he reached out for her, his hand wrapping over her own and gently rubbing over her skin there with his thumb. On a regular basis, Aang wouldn't have dared try; he'd have blushed to the very roots of his hair (if he had any) and died on the spot of mortification. But this time was different, this time Katara needed him.

Her father had died in the war against the Fire Nation some time ago. Aang remembered so clearly the day a messenger had gave them a letter telling them so. Sokka had taken it badly – probably the worse out of the three of them; his temper was worse than normal and was always adamant to be left alone. It took a while before Sokka began showing signs of recovery.

However, Katara had never showed anything; her face completely blank as the messenger relayed them the message, almost like she was too shock to feel anything. She hadn't said a single word for days, had suddenly stopped eating and was always gone during the nights Aang woke up for a drink of water by the stream. He had felt immensely worried about her and when he'd asked she had simply told him she was fine and, helplessly, he left it at that. Then finally she was smiling again, waking him up at sunrise and chiding him when he'd goof off on their training sessions, as though nothing had happened and she was, just as she'd told him, fine.

Now…seemed like the first Aang had seen her talk about her father in ages.

"I'm sure your father was proud of you, Katara… both you and Sokka," he said firmly, giving her hand a comforting squeeze.

Katara didn't say anything, she was looking at him in a way he'd never seen her look at him before.

"What?" Aang said.

Katara blinked then giggled, shaking her head. "Oh…it's nothing," she said, her cheeks pink. "I… I just…I almost forgot how… wonderful you are…"

Aang felt his heart stop for a split second in time before resuming its beat, gradually beating faster and faster by the second. He tried to rid of the swooping sensation he'd received at the pit of his stomach by chuckling, rubbing the back his head in an attempt for modesty.

"Me? Nah…It's you who's wonderful…" he murmured. Then he noticed she was shifting from side to side, looking strangely anxious about something. He squeezed her hand. "You okay?"

"Yeah…i-it's just…" she trailed off, and gazed up at him.

He raised a brow at her; her stare… was unnerving. He felt hot and bothered by it, however not necessarily in a bad way; the way she looked at him, so differently, shot a sense of thrill in him, tickling his heartstrings. "What?" he said, tilting his head to the side. "Is there something on my face?"

Katara went pink and she looked away. "N-No…sorry I just…I…I was…" she swallowed, coiled her other hand into a fist, before speaking again. "A-Aang…" Her voice shook as her fingers interlacing with his. "I have to tell you something."

Aang tilted his head to the side. "What is it?"

She took a moment to calm herself, taking huge gulps of breaths. When she was ready, she opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. She tried again, and yet she was still unable to say anything. The determined blaze she had on her face was slowly bordering on nervousness and then eventually she just shook her head, resigned.

"N-Nothing… never mind…it's nothing…"

She looked upset, her brows furrowed in frustration and she was biting her lip – a habit she picked up when she was deeply troubled by something, but Aang had no idea what. Before he could ask, she had pulled her hand out of his and had taken a step away from him.

"I'm sorry…" she muttered.

But… what was it she was sorry about? What was going on? He was so confused. Now, she was walking away. Aang panicked.

"Katara, wait, what are you – ack!" He tripped on a tree root that was poking out from the ground, sending him reeling right into Katara, who wasn't expecting this, and the both of them collided right into the statue of Master Gyatso. Aang winced, rubbing the sore spot on his arm that had been particularly bruised by the collision, but it was immediately forgotten the moment he heard Katara's mumbled words of pain. She was squished between him and the statue, rubbing her shoulder. Aang instantly felt a stab of guilt. "Ah! I'm sorry, Katara, I really am! Gosh I'm so clumsy, hey, are you alright?"

He was blabbing like an idiot with the jitters, but really – what had he been thinking running into her like that?

"It's okay, Aang," she said, wiggling her arm. "I'm fine. I didn't get hurt that much… just a little sore. Besides," she added, her voice chiding but gentle, "it's you who I should be worrying about. Look! You're bleeding!"

She pointed at near the top of his head, where a small cut could be seen just right next to the arrow tattoo. So… that's why my head's hurting so much, he mused.

"Here, let me—"Katara had opened her water jug, letting a pool of water into her hands and gliding it until it settled over his wound. Aang stood still as she healed him; he tried to keep his concentration from wavering, but now and then his attention would slip and he'd end up watching her, totally transfixed. She looked so determined, her focus completely on the wound, despite how little and insignificant it was. There was a cooling sensation that spread over the cut before the stinging had totally vanished; she had even cured his insufferable headache! Aang marveled at how much she'd developed over the years.

He quickly tore his eyes from her when she noticed he was staring.

"Thanks…but still…sorry about that," he said.

Katara shrugged. "It's no biggie," she said. Then she grinned. "I'm quite used to your klutzy tendencies long by now, Aang."

Aang pretended to look offended by this. "Low blow, Katara," he said. Subsequently, he got an idea and felt worldly evil as he moved closer to her, a glint in his eyes, which did not go unnoticed by Katara.

"Oh, no you don't, Aang, don't you dare!" she laughed, but there was a hint of warning in her tone. Of course he totally disregarded this, refusing to let her get away from him. "Aang! _Aang_, I mean it!"

"I'm not going to let you go until I get an apology!" he said, and with this he began to tickle her ruthlessly. Katara giggled, trying to push away but failed.

"Hahahah! Aang! Hahaha! _Aang_, stop, please!" she chortled. "Okay, okay! Hahaha! You win, you win!"

Aang grinned in success. "Tell me that I am the greatest and most devilishly handsome guy you've ever met first!" he went on.

"You've got to be—" His tickling grew faster. "Hahahaha! Okay…okay!" Katara was struggling to speak, but she managed. "You are… the greatest… and most…uhh—"

"—devilishly handsome," Aang helped, enjoying this immensely.

Katara glared, to which Aang responded by tickling her doubly. "Hehehehe! Okay! Okay!" she grumbled. "...And the most devilishly handsome guy I've ever met! There! Are you happy now? I said it!"

Aang tapped his chin as if thinking about this, his fingers still poised and ready for more tickling. "Hm…"

"Aang!"

"Okay, okay," he said cheerfully, smirking a little as she sighed in relief. He let his hands slide to her waist, ceasing his tickling frenzy…for the moment. Katara was out of breath, her cheeks flushed. When she regained her composure, she hit him on the chest. It wasn't very hard, just enough to let him know that she'd get him back for this even if it killed her. Aang, however, played along, rubbing the spot on his chest where she'd socked him. "Ow… there's no need for violence Katara." He grinned mischievously.

She shot him a Look.

"C'mon… you know all the things you've said about me was right!"

Katara rolled her eyes. "I think all that air-bending has given you a big head, Aang," she said firmly.

"Now, don't make me tickle you again, Katara."

Katara glared. "Did I ever tell you you're evil?" she said.

"Well…a few times…I suppose," Aang said, as if actually thinking about this. He smiled teasingly at her exasperated stare. "You know I'm just kidding, right?" he said.

However, she seemed to be preoccupied with something else and kept eyeing him critically. "Hey…" Katara squinted her eyes at him up and down as if their close proximity wasn't close enough. "…are you _taller_ than me now?"

Aang looked up and then down at her. "Oh… well, what do you know, I am."

Katara huffed. "You're incorrigible," she said.

"But you love me."

Aang froze.

And in his arms, Katara had stopped dead. Aang bit his lip; he wanted to hit himself hundred times over in the behind for saying such a thing, and to tell the truth, he really didn't know where the hell it'd came from! He'd just opened his mouth and said it!

_Man…_ he thought, wanting desperately to disappear through the ground… I'm losing it_…_ wait a minute… I can earth-bend – I can just drill a hole through the ground and… oh what am I thinking? Wait… what is _Katara_ thinking? He couldn't quite imagine.

She was staring in a daze at her hands, fiddling with her fingers nervously. Aang swallowed, and allowed himself to laugh.

"Heheh… I was o-only kidding, Katara!" he said, rubbing the back of his head again. "Cheer up!"

Katara was looking at him strangely, her brows furrowed slightly as if in great pain, and… Aang could have sworn he saw a small glimpse of… disappointment pass through her blue eyes just then. It was gone the moment he thought to look again.

"Y-Yeah…" she said softly. "A-A joke…right…"

Aang chuckled, still embarrassed over his choice of words. "Um… yeah…" he agreed.

Katara smiled slightly and looked back down at her lap. Once again, silence went on between them. Aang couldn't help but feel maybe he'd made the tension worse than actually help it.

It was then that he noticed the smudge of dirt on her cheek. "Oh…you got a bit o-of… here…let me…" He flicked the smear with his thumb, but then getting carried away by how soft her skin felt he found himself gently stroking the rest of her face, letting his fingers trail down the edges of her jaw-line, her chin… her lips… Katara sighed, closing her eyes and – was he dreaming? – leaning in towards him.

They were standing close… very close. It was the first time Aang had really noticed that he was holding her pinned against the statue, arms by her waist, his eyes out-ling every curve and feature of her face into memory. Without really thinking of it, all sense of reason be gone, he leaned in further, and, in turn, she leaned in too… closer and closer…

Their lips just barely a centimeter apart until –

"Hey, you guys, we got to get going!" It was Sokka.

This seemed to pull a trigger in Aang's head and he was quick to pull away. Katara did the same, although there was not much space she could move back to as the statue of Gyatso still stood behind her. She was trying to look anywhere else but at him, at them; her face red, and looking as though she'd been holding her breath the entire time.

Katara avoided his gaze. "Sokka's right…" she murmured. "W-We better go…" She maneuvered her way around him, her ducked low so that Aang couldn't even catch a glimpse of her face, and walked towards her brother; all that time she hadn't, once, looked back at him.

Aang felt his heart stricken with more guilt. What had happened? What had he almost done? He'd nearly… nearly kissed her! He felt faint just thinking about it. What the hell had come over him? What was he thinking? No… that was just it… he _hadn't _been thinking at all.

He watched as Katara helped Sokka reload the bags and supplies back on Appa. For the life of him, he couldn't imagine what she must be thinking of him now. Aang buried his face in his hands. He'd screwed up big time.

"Hey, Aang, are you just going to stand there all day or what?" Sokka called to him. "If you don't mind I'd like to get to the Fire Nation as soon as possible – preferably before I hit eighty!"

Katara whacked her brother over the head.

"Fine, take all the time in the world!" said Sokka, who looked annoyed. "There's no rush!" When Katara turned her back, Sokka gave him urgent looks of 'hurry up!' and waving impatiently to get on Appa's back.

Aang sighed and looked back to his master. "I know… I know…" he muttered, "not exactly smooth. But I'm trying!" The statue didn't say anything. "Hey, these things take time, okay? It's not that easy you know?"

More silence.

"Aang!" Sokka called again. "I hate to interrupt your conversation and all, but seeing as how your master ain't gonna say anything productive any time soon, how's about we boot it?" Katara glared at him. "Or… if you want… keep talking. No biggie. I can wait even though I'm about to _die_ of sheer hunger… noooo pressure here," he grumbled.

But Aang was watching Katara, watching as the sun behind the peaks of the mountains made her hair and her skin glow. Truly, she was beautiful… and it wasn't the first time that he felt all ounce of air leave his lungs, rendering him absolutely breath-taken. There was no doubt about it… he was head over heels, totally and completely, in love with her. He could spend another one hundred years convincing himself he wasn't… but he couldn't hide the truth no better than he could hide that he was the Avatar. It was there, in the open.

He was smitten. And... he was also doomed.

Aang looked back at the statue of his master and nodded, as though it were actually speaking.

"I know…" he murmured. "I know…she isn't going to wait forever." He sighed. "Thank you, Master Gyatso."

He bowed, paying the last of his thanks to his old master, and then hopped on Appa, tugging on the reigns with muttered 'Yip Yip!'

They rose in the air, leaving the Southern Temple far behind.

"Hey, Aang," said Sokka after awhile, "what were you talking to your master about anyway?"

Aang snuck a quick glance at Katara, who still refused to look at him and was staring out at the ocean. Aang felt his heart sink.

"Nothing really… just stuff," he said lamely as he took them up higher and higher into the sky.

However no matter how far up the clouds he continued to take them Aang still felt he was stuck rock bottom.

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A/N: To tell you the truth I haven't finished watching the series yet, so some stuff might be jumbled. Feel free to tell me what you think: were the characters okay? Was the chapter bad, good, needs improvement? I'm new at this so I'm open for options! No flames please, thank you! 

Review please!


	2. Seeing the Signs

Author's Notes: I've miscalculated the length of this chapter it would seem… so I guess this will **no longer** be just a two part story anymore (see at the end of the chapter for more details). But then again, I doubt you guys are complaining.

Thank you so much to those who reviewed last chapter by the way! I appreciate your encouragements and, of course, your inputs!

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**No One Else**

**Chapter Two: Seeing the Signs**

Fire Nation had changed a lot over the course of a few months. With their former leader – or as Sokka liked to call him: deranged, evil, fire-breathing psychopath – gone the kingdom no longer became the image of evil, but rather a place that can finally be acclaimed for its fight for freedom, for the world and, most of all, for peace.

Ex-General Iroh had taken up his rightful place as their new Fire Lord and had adopted Prince Zuko as his son. It went without saying that the Nation prospered with bountiful of happiness throughout the land, the scar of war and loss now only a distant memory to them and getting farther still, but not too far for them to completely forget.

Festivities of all sorts were happening all throughout the marketplace; banners of the four nations – air, water, earth and fire – waved with the wind and monuments of deceased heroes, noble kings and past Avatars, as well as the new, continued to shine beneath the sun's rays. There was entertainment at every crook and corner possible; puppet shows of the battle from a few months ago were being told to children, firecrackers were being lit up and showered the sky, while freshly made goods were being sold for only a buck under every roof.

If he hadn't been in such a gloomy mood all day, Aang would have been a lot more cheerful by the events, but – and with this he glanced over his shoulder where Katara seemed glued to what was going on below – seeing as how she hadn't even turned to look at him, not once, since their departure from the south Aang couldn't muster up any feelings of excitement even if he willed himself to. It just wasn't the same if Katara had set her heart into totally, blatantly, ignoring him.

He sighed heavily as they neared the palace, where looming above them was the Tower, a powerful structure that was the peak of Fire Nation's strength hold. It'd been the very place Aang had fought and defeated the previous Fire Lord, however back then it felt like the entire tower was fire itself, engulfing and destroying the life around it; an ominous essence, the source of all iniquity. Now it symbolized righteous power, courage and the flame of a new hope within the hearts of the people.

"Hey, Aang, look below!" said Sokka, who up to now had been staring uninterestedly at the scenes was now entranced by something else going on down below. There was a swarm forming down the market square, watching and pointing in awe as the flying bison flew overhead. And to Aang's surprise, they started clapping; at first it was just a few onlookers with a few claps here and there but then it steadily grew into a nation uproar of cheers and praises. "Damn! They're going crazy for us!" said Sokka excitedly, and with a cocky air about him, he waved back, grinning broadly as he did and had even went as far as blew kisses to girls who were blushing and waving at them as they passed by; they fluttered their fingers flirtatiously and did a bat or two with their long lashes, blowing kisses back. He sighed dreamily, leaning back into his hands. "I could get used to this kind of attention," he said. "Don't you think so, Aang?"

"Uhh…" said Aang, who was not prepared for the question nor did he have any idea really what he thought.

"C'mon," said Sokka, grinning suggestively at him and elbowing him in the ribs. "This is the perfect time to meet potential prospects!"

"Prospects?" repeated Aang blankly.

"Yes, prospects," said Sokka as though Aang was slow. "You being the Avatar and saving the world and all would probably increase your chances with the ladies, plus you're not half-bad looking. There's bound to be a chick out there that'll dig you for sure!"

Aang blushed. "I-I don't know," he said, sneaking a glance at Katara. There was something odd about the way she looked; her shoulders not to mention her entire posture was rigid, a sharp frown was squished between her brows and her lips were merely a thin line. Aang had seen that look on more than a few occasions; she was evidently not pleased by something, but by what… he didn't know.

"Nonsense! There's no need to be shy, Aang!" said Sokka, oblivious to his Avatar's discomfort. "In fact, there was this one girl who was _really_ giving you the eye."

Aang's face went redder and redder with embarrassment. "Really?" he spluttered, his voice wedged in his throat.

"Yeah! It was a damn good eye too. She likes you, I can tell." Sokka frowned as he noticed Aang squirming uneasily. "You didn't notice didn't you?"

"Uhh…" said Aang, who hadn't.

Sokka shook his head and patted him on the shoulder. "It's okay," he said confidently. "We have loads of time."

Someone scoffed, and Aang had to crane his neck back to look at her. "Oh, please, Sokka," said Katara impatiently, "as if we're going to use abuse Aang's title to satisfy _your _own benefits! Besides, Aang would never take advantage of his fame like that; you should be ashamed of yourself, Sokka!"

"Oh, give him a break for once, Katara," said Sokka defensively. "He's been running around for years, trying to enhance his bending techniques and now that he's finally defeated the Fire Lord, I say he deserves to have a little fun!"

"And how does dragging him into one of your hair brain schemes signify any fun?" retorted Katara hotly.

"Aang agrees with me, don't you, Aang?" he said. Instantly, Aang felt cornered between a bolder and a pair of jagged teeth.

"Uhh…" he replied dumbly.

"See? He agrees with me!" said Sokka boastfully. He looked to Momo, patting the lemur on the head. "What about you, Momo," he asked in a bubbly voice that caused the irate look on Katara's face to grow darker, and more dangerous looking, "don't you think Katara is being unfair?"

The said animal simply looked at him, having absolutely no idea what Sokka was rattling on about. It purred unintelligibly, scratching its ears with its hind leg.

Katara crossed her arms and raised a brow, as if Momo's response (or lack of) was evidence of hers that had just been proven correct. Unfortunately, Sokka was not one to back down from a fight, especially with blood relations, or more specifically his little sister; he clapped his hands clean, unfazed by this in the slightest.

"Well, that's that, three votes to one," he said matter-of-factly. "You're outvoted, Katara." And out of the blue Appa heaved a great and heavy grunt. Sokka patted Appa on the side, chuckling affectionately. "Sorry, big guy…" He held out four fingers in Katara's face. "Make that four votes to one."

"Um, Sokka, I think Appa's just tired," said Aang, who noted the look of murder gleaming in Katara's eyes.

"It's okay, Aang, there's no need," said Sokka breezily, dismissing this entirely. "No need to make Katara feel better, she knows she's beat."

Katara glared. "_Aang _doesn't agree with you and neither do Momo and Appa, although you can't really count them because they obviously can't grasp the level of idiocy that's compacted in that thick head of yours!"

"Oh, that's just so…so… typical of you to say!" Sokka scoffed. "You don't count Momo and Appa's votes because their level of thinking is different from ours?" Aang had a moment to wonder if Sokka was ever really aware of the things he'd said sometimes. From the reddening of his cheeks and the contracting of his eyes, not to mention the look of utmost defiance, Aang concluded for himself that, no, the other boy had never done anything of the sort in his life and was proceeding to sink himself in hot water. "So are you saying they're beneath us?" he went, almost sounding hysterical by this point. "I…I thought better of you, Katara," he said, shaking his head with racked disappointment

"What?" said Katara, shaking her head in disbelief. "Do you even know what you're saying, Sokka? Those _girls_—"she said as if there was a really bad flavor in her mouth, "—are just a bunch of floozies, who probably wouldn't give you the time of day if they didn't know you were friends with the Avatar! Get real! They only want you because of Aang's fame and they're so greedy to have at least one taste of it! It has nothing to do with because they _like_ you f-for you, they don't!"

"You know what I think?" said Sokka snidely, ignoring this. "I think you're just jealous!"

Katara's expression had faltered slightly; the ferocity and the anger she'd worn against her brother was slowly eroding away, as though revealing something beneath there had been overlooked. For a moment Aang felt a surge of hopefulness course through him. Was it possible the reason for her unusual behavior was because she _was_… jealous?

"J-Jealous?" said Katara, her voice thinly unveiling some fear. "Don't be ridiculous. What in the world would I be jealous about? I'm only looking out for Aang's well—"

"Aang this, Aang that!" Sokka snapped. "Don't feed me that. Isn't it a little old to be hiding behind the exact same excuse, Katara? You're not fooling anyone," said Sokka, who was sneering with a pleasure of someone who'd obviously had the upper hand on the situation. Aang on the other hand was listening, watching the pair so intently that he'd momentarily forgotten he was steering. What were they talking about that he didn't know about?

Katara's uneasiness was apparent now. She couldn't even look at her brother. She looked like she was shrinking, growing smaller and smaller under Sokka's intensive gaze, her breath becoming ragged and short.

"Sokka…" It was the first time Aang decided to speak up. He noticed Katara's desperateness to flee from the scene, her hands clasped over her ears, trying to drown her brother's words but unable to.

"You're just afraid of being left behind again, that if Aang and I found someone we might actually like that it would just leave you alone!"

"N-No," Katara tried to protest. "T-That's not it at all. I was just—"

"That's exactly what it is," said Sokka firmly. "It's just like that time we went to Kiyoshi. You didn't like Aang and I being off all the time while you stayed at your cot being an old stiff."

"Sokka—" said Aang again, and this time there was a warning in his voice.

There was a pause between them where neither of them said anything. Finally, Katara sighed, admitting defeat. As she sat down, Aang saw that she looked… upset – well of course she was – but more so she looked… like she was about to cry.

"Sokka!" Aang hissed.

Sokka noticed his sister's change of behavior too and his anger was quicker to leave him than it was to enter. "I-I was only kidding, Katara, _geez_! No need to be so uptight!" He rolled his eyes as if to emphasize he was going for lightening the mood (although failing horribly), before adding exasperatingly, "Girls… so easy to rile up over nothing. Pfft." Katara's expression hadn't wavered; in fact, she looked even more miserable, causing Sokka to double take. "C'mon Katara," he pleaded, "I'm…sssssss-orrrrrr—yyy. Okay? I didn't mean it."

He looked like he had to ingest a sack full of nuts to say that, or rather swallow down his pride and admit he was wrong. Katara shook her head, her shakiness slightly lifted now that her brother was back to being nice to her, and did her best to smile.

"It's okay," she said softly. "I'm sorry too…I didn't mean – I was out of line—"

"Shh..." Sokka hushed her quietly. He sighed, rubbing the back of his head with an ashamed look on his face. "Besides…you're probably right about those girls. They probably don't know the first thing about me, much less know my favorite color—"

"It's red," Aang inserted cheerfully. "Not that hard to figure out." He was silenced immediately by Sokka's looks of death.

Katara waved her hand dismissively. "No, no… it's alright," she said. "I-I'm just tired."

"Well, we're nearing the palace soon," said Sokka gently. "You should get some rest when we get there, okay?" Katara nodded as he squeezed her arm for comfort.

She watched as her brother took a seat beside her, looking a bit tired himself, before she lifted her blue eyes shyly to meet his grey ones. And Aang, unable to help himself, looked at her back. It was the first time she looked at him in hours or had even said anything remotely related to him. She'd looked so fierce, so firm… so incredibly _Katara_… that he momentarily had a lapse of breath. It didn't help that the sun was up high, causing her soft, tanned skin to glow under its radiance and her blue eyes to look bluer than ever.

It was like all those times spent watching her during training; he'd claim that he wasn't when she caught him at it, but she'd looked so beautiful, so graceful and commanding over her bending that he found himself staring at her every time.

It had definitely been a real shocker in his part to see Katara being beaten down so easily, even though the dispute between the siblings was petty and stupid and would probably be looked back on in the far future with a laugh and a claim how utterly ridiculous the two of them were. Aang knew Katara could very well handle her own, especially against her brother – she wasn't weak, nor was she a pushover (battling against the Fire Nation only heightened this evidence) – but that didn't stop him from being any less…protective towards her. Seeing her there, so utterly unhappy, so defenseless… so incredibly un-Katara-like… made him, more than ever, want to be near her.

Aang began to question what it'd been like if he had kissed her, what would have happened if Sokka hadn't arrived and he'd just filled the remaining gap between them and simply kissed her. Would she have pulled away? That would have been the worse possible outcome. But… what if she didn't? What if she kissed him right back?

The idea sent a swooping sensation from his stomach all the way to his throat.

Then he sighed a little, as if to remind himself that Katara, had not, in fact, been jealous… just a little tired and a bit irritated. She'd said so herself. He couldn't blame her; they'd been traveling practically the entire day and he was beginning to feel exhaustion taking over him. What's more, he thought, trying to squish down that swelling eagerness that had consumed him a while ago, why would she be jealous anyway? She couldn't or didn't see him in that way as much as he wished; she was only defending him because he'd felt uncomfortable by the sheer notion of "prospects" and, as she'd described them, they were floozies. Simple as that; discussion closed. That would be something Katara would do.

The swooping sensation vanished, replaced by a feeling that did not associate well with his stomach. It felt like his heart had grown increasingly heavy, too much for it to stay rooted where it was supposed to be, and had dropped to the bottom of his belly, leaving him feeling absolutely nothing but emptiness.

Katara noticed his stare, probably had for some time now, and looked away, her cheeks a bright shade of red.

_And… she's back to avoiding me again… _Aang thought, sighing.

Aang had Appa land just a few feet away from the palace doors, where already the guards were running in to inform the Fire Lord their arrival.

"Wow…" said Sokka loudly, as he jumped off Appa's back and was looking around. "We haven't been here in months, looks completely brand new!"

"That's because they had it rebuilt," said Aang while he undid Appa's saddle of his belongings.

"Wow…" said Sokka again, who was truly amazed. Momo joined him, hopping on his shoulder and casting large green eyes around.

"Well, if you have time to stare then you have time to help Aang and I unload," said Katara, who was carrying a bundle of her own, including her brother's, under her arms.

"Here," said Aang at once. He took the bags from her and thrust a few to Sokka, who hadn't been expecting the throw and winded up falling backwards from the force. Aang winced. "Er… sorry."

"Yeah…" muttered Sokka, helping himself up; he dusted his pants, looking thoroughly annoyed; "I'd forgotten you had lessons with Toph."

Katara giggled, a sound that reverberated pleasantly in his ears. Aang looked up; watching as she covered her mouth to muffle the sounds of her laughter, thinking as she did this that there was no possible way he could look away now. Sokka gave her a pointed look to keep quiet, but from the way his lips kept quirking upward as though he was actually going to smile but was forcing it down, Aang knew that he was just as pleased as he was to see Katara smiling again.

Aang cleared his throat and held out a hand to her.

Katara looked at him and for a moment she did nothing, simply looked in his eyes and at the hand reaching out for her to take. Aang thought maybe she would take it, but then in an instance, vanquishing all his doubts with a single touch, she took his hand. It was soft, comforting and felt so undeniably _right_ to be held in his. He airlifted himself and she let him pull her to him, his other hand coming around her waist while he airlifted them back on the ground. Aang released her, letting his arm slide from her waist and back down to his side, but his hand still held hers, unable to let go. She was looking at him that same way she'd looked at him back at the temple – her expression unreadable, but something transparent fleeting before her blue eyes.

"Welcome! Welcome!" came a jovial voice, knocking the two of them back into a reality Aang hadn't realized they'd left.

Katara swallowed, biting her lower lip, an action which signified her mind was racing; Aang vaguely wondered what it was now that she was thinking about and whether it was about what had just transpired between them. They DID have a knack for awkward moments, most of them caused by him, but as she pulled her hand away he noted the happy, almost deliriously-looking, expression she had on and was trying to conceal from him but had failed dreadfully. Aang couldn't help but feel a bit pleased with himself, allowing a little grin of his own to reveal although he had no idea what exactly he'd accomplished.

"Honored guests," said Lord Iroh, bowing, and behind him Aang saw his whole line of entourages do the same. "It's a great honor to have you join us in these events," he gazed up at Aang, "young Avatar."

"Yeah…" said Aang, and briefly he took in the old man's appearance. From evident bald spot on his head down to the very soles of his black boots that Lord Iroh did not change a lot during the course of these past few months; his belly was still round and protruded from his gartered pants, his grey beard long and the familiar scent of tea leaves mingled all around him. He shook his head, almost forgetting his manners; he bowed his head and was aware of Katara and Sokka doing the same. "No, it's _our_ honor, Lord Iroh."

Lord Iroh heaved a heavy laugh. "Oh, come now, Aang, there's no need for formalities," he said with a wide smile. "Call me Iroh. Now, come inside, you three must be tired from your journey—"

"Actually," Sokka spoke up keenly, "I _am_ – I mean… _we _are kind of hungry—"

"Sokka," Katara hissed, shooting him a warning look.

"It's alright, Katara," said Iroh, who was obviously amused. "Come on in, I was just about to have tea. I'll have the servants take your things. Come, come!"

They followed suit while some of the guards gathered up their things and the rest led Appa, along with Momo, to the stables.

Once inside, Iroh said, "Won't you join me and my other guests in the common room?"

"Where's Zuko?" said Katara curiosly, looking around as if expecting him to pop out of the ground. Aang felt a prickle of annoyance at this. "I haven't seen him."

"Oh, he's at Ba Sing Se, negotiating treaties with the head leader," said Iroh. He leaned in to whisper, as though this was some kind secret, "He's my new Head ambassador and won't be back till tomorrow… that is… if you're still looking for him." He gave her a knowing wink.

Aang noticed with increasing distaste that Katara was blushing again, the feeling of something squirming; threatening to lash out at the sight had arisen from inside the walls of his stomach.

"Oh really," said Sokka, his tone sounding awfully too happy for someone who was doing his best to hide it, "that's…. too bad." With this he smirked as if his day had just changed to something agreeable in a poof at the mention of those words.

Aang suppose that he was still bitter about the fact that his sister had gone goo-goo for the man who near killed them about a hundred times.

He had said, his voice in that typical ill-temper when he was really pissed off about something, "This is what I will never understand about women. I mean what is with them and crazed, overly-obsessed, revenge-seeking, angst-prone juvenile delinquents? I swear… it's like a babe magnet o-or witchcraft of some sort!"

Aang had to admit, that he'd most definitely not been happy about it either and it was hard to contain his jealousy when Katara was standing there next to him, her face as red as the robes he had on him.

They reached the den which was a wide room with a skylight hanging down from the middle, allowing light from the sun to be filtered through while hanging from the high ceilings were bright yellow curtains and gold-plated chandeliers. There was a group of elderly folks sitting on the table, playing a game of some sort – Aang spotted the large board sprawled out in front of them and the concentrated looks on their faces as one of them moved forth a piece across the board before resuming their thoughtful stance.

"Is that fish and noodles with spicy tea sauce… in a bowl?" demanded Sokka, looking over at the long table just near the terrace where Aang could see the festivities still going on while people grew wider and larger in numbers.

"Of course," said Iroh. "It's a delectable here… would you like—"But Sokka was already there, taking a seat next to an old man with a red robes, who looked at Sokka like he wasn't quite sure where he'd just come from and calling to a nearby maid for a bowl. Iroh chuckled amicably while Katara sent looks of disapproval at her brother, coming along to take a seat next to Aang. "Three more bowls please, freshly made for our honored guests!"

The maids served them tea and bowls of fish and noodles that all smelled like tea, bowing their heads before exiting again. Katara was slowly sipping her soup while shooting furtive looks over at her brother, who was practically shoving the bowl into his mouth by this point, trying to consume its contents as fast as he can by scarcely breathing.

"Aang, Katara, Sokka," said Iroh, smiling. "These are members of the White Lotus Order."

An old man with his hair tied back stood up and bowed. "Welcome," he said. The rest followed suit, bowing as they greeted them.

"Oh, thank you," said Katara, who stood up as well and bowed her head.

"Yeah," said Aang, bowing. "Thanks for having us."

Sokka simply looked up from his bowl. "More please!" he called merrily.

At once, another bowl was served to him and he was back again, diving in for another bite. Katara looked thoroughly disgusted by her brother's lack of mannerisms, was probably wondering why it hadn't been drilled into his forehead as a child.

Iroh and the members of the White Lotus or whatever it was he'd called it didn't look abash. Iroh looked to Aang and Katara. "Go on, eat," he urged with a smile.

"I'm _so _sorry about my brother," Katara told him quietly. "He's usually really well-behaved." He made an undignified sound with his throat just then, causing both Katara and Iroh to look over at Sokka, who was not only on his third bowl already but was talking to the man next to him, his mouth full of noodles; the man had his brows raised, probably wondering how exactly someone could stuff their face so fast and still be able to make coherent noises. Katara looked like she was fighting an urge to reach over the table to sock him.

Aang hid his smile, scooping a large spoonful and shoving it into his mouth; satisfied when his stomach ceased to growl at him to feed it.

"So, Aang," said one of Iroh's club members. "Lord Iroh tells me you're expected to make a speech tomorrow evening—"he was interrupted by a choke, followed by a series of uncontrollable hacking. The old man peered from his game board and gazed at Aang, who was banging his hand on the table trying desperately to shove the clump of noodles down his throat. Everyone was looking at him now, excluding Sokka who was, well, preoccupied with his own bowl. Katara quickly handed him her cup of tea, which he drowned down in seconds, meanwhile patting his back soothingly with a worried look on her face.

When he composed himself, he cleared his throat. "I'm sorry… what?"

Unfazed, the old man replied, "A speech, my boy."

"A speech," repeated Aang like he wasn't quite sure the word was in his vocabulary. "You mean… to the people?"

"Yes," said the man, chuckling, "to the people. They all want to hear a few words from the one who saved the world."

A speech, he thought again and felt strangely faint. The idea made him nervous. Lord Iroh had said that the palace would be packed with people from every corner of the world; this was probably only a tiny portion compared to the millions more that had still yet to arrive. Aang gulped. The last time he'd been under this much pressure he'd been on trial for killing Chin the Great in a past life; he'd flunked that one with flying colors, having totally forgotten his alibi and speaking complete nonsense when trying to explain the evidence both Katara and Sokka had went through the trouble of finding for him. And now… he was expected to speak in front of all these people?

After tea, Lord Iroh sent them off upstairs to their rooms, telling them that if there was anything else they wanted (anything else at all) to not hesitate and ask. Katara had to drag Sokka away before he got any bright ideas while Aang followed not too far behind, his shoulders sagging and his mind elsewhere on speeches and large crowds.

The maids led them up a flight of stairs, where the railing was pure gold and in the shape of a flying dragon. Then they reached the hallway, where it stretched long and far with doors of the same décor as the entrance and the railing of the staircases, which were lined with gold streams and white and black dragons painted all across it.

It was certainly different than what it had been a few months ago. Aang helplessly shuddered at the memory, not even able to be entirely amazed by the remarkable craftsmanship surrounding him. Black flaming torches, darkened hallways and rooms upon rooms like a labyrinth felt too much like a bad dream flashing on and off again in his mind. They jump out at him at any given moment, with absolutely no warning whatsoever.

And as though his feelings of turmoil had reached out to someone, he felt a hand slip in through his, delicately taking his hand and interlacing their fingers together. When he looked, he saw it was Katara; she was watching him with a hard, blazed expression, like she knew exactly what was running through his mind and where within him the pain was hurting the most. She gave his hand a squeeze, silently letting him know that she was there for him, and Aang, with this renew strength, felt his spirits rise again, his heart feeling lighter than ever as though a burden had just been lifted off his shoulders.

That's what it was like with Katara… he never had to go through anything alone, because she was always there… every step of the way, no matter how far ahead or how far behind he was from her… he knew she wasn't too far behind. She'd always catch up with him, no matter what the cost or how far the distance.

He swallowed, realizing a second too late that Katara had taken his hand – _his _hand. Well, of course, she'd taken his hand – she had done it before, tons of times in fact… but somehow this unexpected display from her felt different, quite unlike the million times before she'd slipped her hand through his to hold. She sent him a smile, a fleeting, almost unnoticeable curl of her lips, until it was gone – just like that – and she was back, looking ahead of her again as though nothing had happened, but he knew, he saw…was the only one under this roof who had.

"Aangy?" said someone suddenly. "Is that you?"

"Aangy?" both Aang and Katara said simultaneously, confused.

Aang turned around to the sound of the voice but had been hurled to the side by a force he hadn't been expecting. He heard Katara yelp as she'd been torn away from him. When he looked down he realized it was someone he knew.

"Koko?" he said, staring at her with wide grey eyes. "Wow… you… what are you doing here?"

Koko grinned toothily. "Well, you're not the only one who's been invited to stay at Lord Iroh's suite," she said matter-of-factly. "Everyone from Kyoshi is here too!" The door next to them opened and a group of girls poked their heads out.

"Koko, what are you – _Aangy?_" They noticed him there and they all did a double take as if they couldn't quite believe he was there. It wasn't long till the realization settled and they were all squirming to get out of their rooms, pushing and shoving, squealing ear-wrenching squeals of delight as they rushed to give Aang a hug.

"We've _missed_ you, Aangy!"

"Where have you been, Aangy?"

"Why haven't you've been visiting us, Aangy?"

Aang, however, was doing his best to keep his head above them; they were all tackling into him, one by one, and with each tight embrace he felt the wind being knocked out of him. He kept sending Sokka urgent looks of 'help me!' but the other boy seemed to be in deep thought about something, or was really, really amused to do anything but stand and watch, _looking_ as though he was in deep thought so he wouldn't have to move. Aang highly doubted it was the former.

"Say," said Sokka finally, tapping his chin. "If you girls are from Kyoshi then that means…"

As if someone heard him, someone yelled:

"Hey, long time no see!"

Sokka, and Aang, who was fighting for freedom (but was doing dreadfully) by this point, looked behind them, where a group of women, all adorned with a silk green warrior's outfit with a black vest covering their chests and down between their legs stood before them, their faces painted white with thick red strokes of paint over their eyes and black over her long lashes and brows.

The one in the middle took a step toward them, the ornament with a gold plated image of a sun on her forehead gleaming against the light. She looked at them with that typical, over-confident smirk; or rather she was looking at Sokka with that big, over-confident smirk.

"Suki," said Sokka with a curt nod.

"Hey, Sokka…how's you're fighting these days? Hopefully it's improved," she said teasingly. "Not like that girly style you used to have, is it?"

Sokka scoffed. "Of course not! In fact I'll show you my awesome _manly_ skills right here, right now!" He lifted both his fists and started bouncing at the balls of his feet, waiting for an attack. But Suki just shook her head and laughed.

"Sorry, no can do," she said. "The other Kyoshi Warriors and I are needed at the festivals today."

"Gee," said Sokka with mock sadness, "that's too bad."

"Say, why don't you come with us, Sokka?" she asked, looking at the other women who all nodded at this eagerly. "Come see our performance?"

"Hmm… I don't know," said Sokka, going for aloofness, "I'll have to check my schedule."

"Oh, please, Sokka, please?" said all the other girls, coming around him and tugging on his sleeves pleadingly. From the side somewhere, Aang heard Katara cough in her hands, probably rolling her eyes at her brother's poor attempts at dramatics.

"Oh… well, okay," said Sokka, nodding finally. "You've convinced me."

The girls cheered and began dragging him along with them.

"Hey!" said Katara, calling after him, "What about all your stuff, Sokka? You can't just leave them here!"

"Let Aang take them for me!" he said, not even glancing their way before he was gone, the sound of their laughter disappearing down the hall.

_Gee… thanks for nothing, Sokka…_ Aang thought, scowling. _As if I don't have enough on my plate already… _

The girls were still clinging on to him and didn't look like they were about to let go any time soon. He sighed heavily, thinking the fates landed him this hallway on purpose; he tried to get Katara's attention, but she was barely looking at him now – her eyes casting everywhere else but at him, an expression he hardly recognized on her face. And just when it'd seem like it couldn't get any worse, someone else called his name.

"Aang?" He (well he tried at least) turned his head and saw yet another girl coming down from her end of the hall to meet him; she was wearing a pink kimono which had pearl-white butterflies near the hem and on the sleeves, a blue obi was tightly strapped across her waist.

"Meng!" he said. She'd grown taller and prettier, her hair not so much like that unmanageable disaster he'd seen when he was twelve; it was held back by a pair of thick braids coming down her shoulders and her face seemed thinner and more mature looking. "You're here too?"

The said girl nodded and smiled. "Of course! Aunt Wu's fortunetelling is great business, especially in big events such as these!"

"Oh, she's here too?" said Aang. "That's great!"

"W-Why don't you come by later?" said Meng quickly, her face growing red. "I-I bet she would love to see you again."

"I'd love to but…" he trialed off as he looked at the girls who were holding him hostage. He smiled at Meng helplessly. "I'm a little… tied up at the moment."

It was the first time Meng seemed to notice them, and right away from the mean glare she shot in their direction and the retaliated death glare they shot right back that they had now officially became sole enemies.

"C'mon, Aangy," said Koko, pouting as she held on his arm like some possessive wife, "let's go to the festivals now."

"Hey," Meng hissed, coming in her face. "He said he wanted to come with me."

"No he didn't!" said Koko venomously and the other girls behind her agreed instantly. "He just said he'd _loved to _but is a _little tied up at the moment_ because he's already agreed to go with us." She gave Meng a superior smirk. "That's okay. We'll tell you all about what happened when we get back."

"Look here Island girl, Aunt Wu told _me_ that I'd be marrying someone with big ears, and Aang fits that description, so there!" snapped Meng, who'd joined in the group hug, trying to tug away Aang's arm from Koko's grip.

"_Island girl_?" said Koko, her voice ringing. "Oh, yeah? And who are you supposed to be, Bucktooth?"

_What IS it with everyone in my ears? Geez… can't they just leave them alone? _Aang thought bitterly. Then he shook his head, berating himself that this was NOT the time to be self-conscious about his ears.

He quickly cleared his throat, gently whisking air between Meng and the other girls apart. "Uh… it's okay," he said, "I'll just see both of you guys later. I'm kind of tired right now and am not in the mood."

"Oh, okay, Aangy!" said Koko, who was cooing and motherly again.

"Yes!" said Meng, who was trying to overthrow her by talking louder. "Okay, _I'll_ see you later then!"

"You mean _I'll_ see you later," corrected Koko serenely. Meng glared at her. Koko and the other girls glared back. And was it just him or did he hear thunder echoing in the distance just now?

Aang forced a smile. "Now if you'll excuse me ladies…" he said, gathering up his (and Sokka's) belongings and making his exit before another quarrel could commence.

"Bye, Aangy! Bye!" they called, sighing dreamily. Aang waved a little, trying to keep his pace casual so as not to look like he was actually rushing to get away. He couldn't believe he enjoyed this kind of attention back then – it was brutal!

As soon as he was out of sight, he instantly heard Koko and Meng bickering again; although this time they left his ears (thank God) out of the way. And yes, he should have technically felt guilty about leaving them there, where the probability of them tearing each other limb from limb was enormous, but really… his arms were getting sore from all the clinging and he was getting really sick and tired of hearing 'Aangy!' being screamed at a considerable volume in his ears all the time, which, by the way, were NOT huge.

He met Katara down the next foyer. She was hauling her things and following the maids again, who led her towards the two rooms down the very end of that corridor. When he reached her side he let out great big sigh of relief.

"Man," he said, shaking his head, "I thought I was done for."

Katara didn't reply and kept walking. Aang frowned a little; he'd been expecting she'd laugh or share in his expense, but she didn't, instead she kept her eyes up ahead as though she hadn't heard him. He noted that he had to keep sprinting in order to keep up with her and wondered what was the sudden rush for?

The maids pointed to their rooms, which were just across from one another; Katara thanked them and they bowed their heads courteously before leaving the way they came. Aang watched silently as Katara fiddled with her lock, watched as a strand of brown hair fell over her face, obscuring just a bit of her blue eyes from view, and he suddenly felt compelled to simply push it back for her.

"I can't believe Sokka ditched me, can you believe him?" he asked, breaking the silence between them. Katara still didn't say a word, her focus solely on how to make the key fit itself in the hole without having to break the key in order to do it. Aang felt his frown return and his heart fall just a little. Was she upset about something? He wondered. Was she angry at him? He took her by the arm, causing her to stop what she was doing and she just stood there, her head and her eyes in the opposite direction, absolutely denying him of any spectacle of her whole face. "Um… Katara… are you okay?"

He thought she wasn't going to reply, but when she did; her voice was cold and tinged with a tremor of anger, "Okay? Of course, I'm okay! I'm just peachy, why wouldn't I be okay?"

"Um… okay…" he said slowly. Then he sighed, gently taking her other arm and turned her around. She kept her eyes trained elsewhere, but he could see the undeniable frown that was on her face. So… she was upset about something. "Really, Katara, what's the matter?"

"I told you I'm peachy," she said.

"And I think I know you better than that," he said. "Now tell me what's wrong."

"Well, I'm _fine_," said Katara firmly, tugging her arm free from his.

"Then why won't you look at me?" said Aang quietly as he watched her take her things inside her room.

Katara sighed. "I'm just… tired," she said lamely.

Aang supposed that forcing the answer out of her wasn't going to help enlighten him, so he nodded, reluctantly; accepting her answer, although highly aware that it wasn't an honest one. He cleared his throat and thrust his hands into his pockets, feeling his heart hammer loudly in his ears as he thought about what he was going to ask her next.

"So… uh… if you're… um that is… if you're not, um… b-busy later," he stammered, his face blushing like mad. He shook his head, inwardly thinking, _C'mon, Aang, you can do it! You're the Avatar! _"I-I was wondering if…if you'd maybe… um… I don't know… want to go with me to t-the…festivals?"

He was pretty sure he sounded like a total moron just now stuttering like that, but he felt always tongue-tied when it came to Katara, like he couldn't keep his feet firmly on the ground because he'd be too busy walking on air or gliding across the clouds.

"Sorry," said Katara flatly, "I can't. But maybe," she added, her tone sounding bitter but showered with attempts at sounding bright and enthusiastic about it, "you should go ask your fan club over there. I'm pretty sure one of them would be just _glad_ to have _Aangy_ escort them—"

_Aangy? _

"Hold on, hold on," said Aang, waving his hands for her to stop. "I never said anything about asking Koko or Meng or any of those other girls to the festival. I said I want to go with _you _to the festival, not them." He raised a brow at her curiously. "What's got you so riled up about anyway?"

Katara scowled as she clenched her hands into fists. "Nothing, _Aangy_," she said, her voice like ice, "it's nothing. Never mind."

"Wait, Katara, what's the matter?" said Aang, drawing closer to her, but she refused him completely, taking a step away from him as he did. "This isn't like you."

"I'm…I'm tired," she said again, shaking her head. This time, the anger was gone and all that was left in its place was misery, confusion and remnants of someone who was trying desperately to find what they've lost. Truth be told, Aang had never seen her look this way before; she looked so terribly sad… like she didn't know what else to do anymore. Instinctively, he reached out to her, but she pulled away, taking a step back inside the protection of her room which he could not enter. Katara swallowed, forcing herself to finally gaze into his eyes and once again he was struck by how utterly miserable she looked. "G-Goodnight, Aang," she whispered before shutting the door shut in his face.

Aang didn't know how long he'd stared at that door or how long he'd hoped it'd open and the girl behind it would emerge, finally deciding to tell him all the things she kept hidden. The look of total grief, of anguish and pain had thrown him off the loop; it had certainly woken him up to the possibilities that Katara… may not be as happy as she'd seemed.

Every smile, every shout of laughter, every sparkle in her eyes… had that all been just an act? He wondered. If so, what was inside her heart that was hurting her so much; that was causing her so much turmoil within that she couldn't even tell _him _– her best friend? Aang sighed, seeing that she was not about to open the door any time soon and reluctantly retreated to his own room.

Inside was painted in red with amazing woven tapestries of phoenixes and angels gliding together on the walls. He felt too depressed to even admire the awesome craftsmanship of the gold-plated windows and the ivory carved terrace just outside.

Had she always been so miserable? He thought, as he fell back on the mattress, too deeply consumed by his thoughts to marvel how comfy the pillows and the blanks were against his skin.

_For how long has she been this way… and why? _

Or rather…and why in the world she thought she couldn't tell him about it?

Aang drifted off to sleep, his mind was swirling of Katara, of the lost smiles she'd worn, of the sadness he'd seen riding at the very edges of her blue eyes so that anyone, whether him or Sokka or the world, couldn't see, even at first glance.

* * *

A/N: Well, end of chapter two. As I've said at the beginning of the chapter… I think I've totally underestimated the length of this chapter. So officially, this story will probably be about three chapters long, four at the most, instead of only two. But like I've said before… I don't think you guys mind (smiles).

I've corrected some stuff in the previous chapters by the way, so that anyone who is new to this story won't get confused and be wondering "why is it suddenly more than two chapters? I thought there was only two?" So yeah… sorry for the confusion everyone.

Anyways, thanks for reading, please review!


	3. Maybe Tomorrow

Disclaimer: I don't Avatar.

* * *

**No One Else**

**Chapter Three: Maybe Tomorrow**

_Houses were burnt to rubble, the entire plain dead and wiped clean of what used to lay in place; trees, families, barn animals… everything was consumed by the mass fire that was spread as far as the eye can see. Aang looked around, realized he was lying on the dirt, his clothes torn and open wounds and burns every where on his arms and on his legs; smoke was rising higher and higher up the sky, so he couldn't even tell where he was and which way to go. _

_He heard laughter, the sound of a maniac going on a rampage; he felt a ripple of fear stir within him as he remembered, clearly and loudly, like something pulled out from a nightmare, just where he'd heard that voice echoing soundly in his head. Aang turned around, saw the silhouette of a man standing in hellfire's path, his arms raised as flames rose from his open palms and his legs, destroying every thing he touched. As if he knew where he was, he turned to face Aang, his face obscured by shadows and the glare of the fire; then he started to laugh, his shoulders shaking as he threw his head back and laughed. _

_The Fire Lord: Ozai. _

"_You're too late, boy," he said, his yellow eyes glinting. "You can't save her anymore." _

_Aang heard a scream emanating from behind him, where a house was on fire and crumbling with each passing second. Without thinking, Aang dashed toward the house; he pushed through the flames, trying to find his way through the smog and the darkness. It was then that he saw her… lying in midst of the flames, her back to him so he couldn't even tell if she was still alive or not, but he recognized the familiar braid, the blue dress and the soft, tanned skin… _

_He ran forward, his heart hammering with fear as he drew closer. He took her in his arms and held her. _

"_Katara!" he yelled, trying to shake her awake, but to no avail; her head lulled to the side, her eyes firmly shut tight. "Katara! Katara, open your eyes!" _

_She remained immobile. Aang felt numb, incredibly numb… as though he'd lost all sense of feeling. He dropped to both his knees, feeling tears sting his eyes and his heart breaking one little piece at a time. He pulled Katara close to him, pressing his face into her hair and letting out all his agony, screaming and crying and hating himself that he had not made it on time to save her. _

_He felt a presence come up behind him. Aang felt his hands shake uncontrollably, felt as if every bit of control he had over himself slipping little by little as his anger grew, burning inside him, wanting to be released. _

_The Fire Lord laughed. "I told you that you're too late, Avatar," he said. "The woman you love is dead!"_

_Aang whipped his head, his eyes flashing white. The ground began to shake, the flames getting larger and wider. The Fire Lord shot a missile at him which he deflected at ease, taking a step forward and letting the ground beneath his feat sizzle and crack from the sheer power emanating from his body. _

_Ozai shot and shot and Aang deflected them all, drawing closer and closer until he was almost of reach. The Fire Lord, by this point, was looking fearful now that his attacks weren't being effective and stumbled backward, his hand outstretched for Aang to stop. But Aang couldn't stop – his thoughts kept straying back to Katara and the fact that he'll never get to see her smile, laugh, talk to him ever again – no, he couldn't stop, not now… not until he had his revenge. _

"_Wait… stop! STOP!" _

_Aang raised a single finger, unleashing an inferno which engulfed the Fire Lord in flames. He watched with vindictive satisfaction as the man shrieked and cried with pain until he was no longer but ashes. However, the power radiating was too much, way too powerful for him to just stop right there; he had to keep going… _

_His feet lifted off the ground as he was surrounded by a cocoon of his own supremacy. He was going to destroy them all; if it meant stopping from his own heart from beating he'd gladly do it. But then he felt gentle hands touch his arm, coming down to take his hand. When he looked, he did a double take… obviously not expecting Katara, of all people, to be standing there right before him. _

_Her eyes were wide with fear but she held on to him, her grip unwavering. _

"_A-Aang," she whispered, "that's enough. It's okay." _

_Aang couldn't quite believe it, feeling tears fall down his face. "K-Katara?" he said, his voice choking. "Y-You… but… how?" _

"_It's okay," she said again, pulling him towards her. "I'm here now. I'm here…" _

_Finally, he felt his energy drain from him, along with his anger; the cocoon he'd wrapped around himself depleting in an instant as Katara held him in her arms. _

"_It's okay, Aang," she murmured soothingly. "I'm here." He sighed in relief, his heart light as he encircled his arms around her waist, tightening their embrace; he buried his face in her hair, taking in that deep flowery scent that was Katara and trying to lose himself in it, all the while vowing to never let her go again. _

_When he pulled away, he smiled at her, touching her face as if to convince himself she wasn't a ghost. "Katara… I…" _

"_I love you, Aang," she said, leaning against his touch. "I always have." _

_Aang felt his heart beating rapidly, but it was now more from happiness than from the anger and the hurt he'd felt earlier. "I love you too, Katara," he murmured. _

_Katara's smile soon disappeared and she wrenched herself from him. There were tears running down her blue eyes. _

"_But you're too late," she whispered. _

_The scene had changed; the burning houses, the smoke and just the massacre was gone, replaced by a beautiful, lush garden with arrays and arrays of beautiful flowers. Katara stood before him, her hair done up high with tresses coming down to frame her face; she was wearing a midnight blue gown with a pale lavender sash which had tiny blue stars dangling from it and was wrapped over her shoulders. On her head was a silver white tiara with matching silver necklace and heals. _

_She looked stunning – no beautiful! She would have looked so much more if not for the sorrowful gaze she held for him. When he took a step toward her, she stepped back. _

"_You're too late, Aang," she said, her voice full of regret. "I'm marrying Zuko now."_

"_Zuko?" repeated Aang faintly. With this, Katara held out her left hand, revealing the silver ring wrapped over her third finger. He looked at Katara, shaking his head with disbelief. "Do you love him?" _

_Katara looked surprise. _

"_O-Of course, I do," she said. "H-He's my fiancé." She didn't look too sure about it herself however. Aang saw this and grabbed her by the arms, forcing her to look him in the eye. _

"_I want to know…do you **love** him." _

_For a moment Katara didn't speak. Then she shook her head. "No… I don't." _

"_Then why, Katara? Why?" Aang pleaded. "I…I thought you loved me, Katara." _

"_I do!" she cried, pulling away from him. "I have been for years! I've waited for you – nearly gone crazy with waiting for you… but you never came… you never said anything! I thought I was always just going to be your best friend." She sighed, turning her back to him. "And well…eventually I got fed up with waiting…"_

_Aang felt numb again, his heart sinking to his stomach. "But… Katara… I **do** love you! I always have!" he cried. "There has never been anyone else! There can **never** be anyone else!" _

_Katara smiled sadly. "I'm sorry," she said. "But…I…I can't." She came close to him, so close, that he could practically hear the sound of her heart shattering against him… or had that been his own heart? Katara closed her eyes and gently brushed her lips over his, before pulling away just as he leaned in to do the same. "Goodbye, Aang…"_

_He watched her go, unable to do anything as she was taken into the arms of another man. All he could was simply watch… watch as she walked away from him, never looking back again… _

Aang bolted, looking around wildly at his surroundings. The fire, the rubble, the garden… everything was gone, and he was back in his room, safe and sound, save for the sound of someone shuffling around the room. For a moment, Aang was blessed with this crazy notion that it was the Fire Lord and blew a great gust of wind, watching as the unknown person fell flat, face-first, right on the carpet floor.

When they regained balance and some dignity, they shot up right, throwing Aang an irritated glare. "What," said Sokka through gritted teeth, "the hell was that for, Aang? Can a person walk in his own room without being knocked down? Geez."

Aang scratched the back of his head. "Sorry… it's just I thought you were…" he trailed off, realizing that voicing his thoughts out would only ensure a question of 'are you an idiot?' from Sokka, followed by a lengthy lecture on how it was theoretically impossible for the Fire Lord to be alive when he, Aang, had already defeated his sorry ass to the ground a few months back. And so, Aang settled with simply saying nothing and allowed Sokka's heated mutters of complaint for being so rudely shoved to go on without objection.

Aang allowed his mind to drift elsewhere… that had been some crazy dream – most of it had felt so real; it was almost like peering into a window and seeing events that had long since passed. He could still feel the sting of the flames burning his skin and the heat and the smoke suffocating him, but nothing could ever compare to what he felt when he saw Katara, lying in midst of all the chaos, completely motionless. The pain had been wrenching, like a knife digging deep into his flesh and going deeper still. The sight had nearly damn killed him as well as had nearly killed everything else; he remembered the anger he'd felt … so incredibly angry… that nothing else seemed to matter anymore.

Needless to say it had been a terrible dream… no, more of a nightmare actually than anything else – it was downright scary to think of the possibilities of it actually coming true. After all… he DID have the tendency to dream up events of the near future; it went with the role of being the Avatar.

The worst part of it would be if Katara really did decide to marry Zuko. Aang shuddered, not wanting to think of how painful it'd been for him to watch her go, watch as she forced her all smiles and pretended to be happy when really… she was just dying inside because she knew she'd have to live a lie for the rest of her life; being with Zuko while knowing she loved another. And as for himself… he couldn't even imagine what he'd do if that'd ever happened.

"Aang? Hello, earth to Aang? I'm talking to you." Sokka was waving a hand over his face. Aang shook out from his reveries and looked at the other boy.

"Sorry, what did you say?"

Sokka rolled his eyes. "I said: do you want to go to the festival?" he said. "It's still early."

Aang rubbed his eyes and looked out at the terrace, where the lights were still dancing and the music and the sound of people laughing gaily could be heard as clear as if he'd been standing amongst them.

"What time is it?" he asked.

"Too early to spend time sleeping," said Sokka, grinning. "C'mon, let's go."

As they exited their room, Aang had a moment to realize something. "Hey, Sokka, how did you know this was our room?"

"Well, you left a pair of my underwear lying in front of the door for everyone to see," said Sokka, who was looking particularly displeased by the memory. Aang smiled apologetically, which Sokka waved off over his shoulder. "Forget it. It turns out girls like seeing guys' underwear all the time."

"Really?" said Aang, sounding genuinely surprised by this "I always thought Katara hated it when you walked around the place half naked—"

"Okay, okay," said Sokka impatiently. "I meant _other_ girls who aren't my sister like it."

And speaking of Katara… Aang turned his head toward the door opposite to them. He walked up to it, waited for a moment to decide whether or not he should knock before raising a hand to knock against the wood.

"Forget about it," was Sokka's voice to his left. Aang turned and saw Sokka looking at him and at the door, his arms crossed over his chest. "I've already tried. She ain't responding." He sighed. "Poor kid… she must be really tired…"

_Yeah… _said Aang with a pang, _or… just really, really sad… _

They left the palace just as the sun had finally set, leaving the sky dark, starless with small whisks of white clouds hovering just above them. The weather was warm, like a cool's summer night with the breeze blowing passed them and feeing just right. The festivals were louder inside it than it was when he'd been standing just outside the gates. There were tents all lined in rows with lanterns lit at every tree post, glowing and lighting the entire place as everyone went from station to station, whether it be for duck dumplings, toy prizes or forms of entertainment.

"I promised I'd meet Suki and the girls by the Shrimp Sushi Dip place," said Sokka after a few minutes of walking and looking around. "You want to come?"

Aang thought for a moment; if he didn't go, he'd be wandering around aimlessly, probably get caught in a mob of over-zealous fan girls and other obsessing admirers he might have and find himself getting lost in the process when running away. And then he'd have to search for Sokka, who'd have retired to their room long before then, totally forgetting that he, Aang, was still somewhere out there, trying to fend for his dear life. However, if did he went he'd be surrounded by Kyoshi Warriors and – possibly – the rest of Kyoshi population, which most likely meant Koko and her giggling friends. Meng probably wouldn't be too far behind, keeping her ever watchful eye on them, making sure that they didn't accidentally run into _him_ along the way.

Hm… over-zealous fans … or giggling Kyoshi Island girls…?

"It's okay, I'll just stay here… look around for a bit," said Aang finally. Sokka shrugged, stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked off in the opposite direction, leaving Aang in the middle of the busy pathway. He decided to begin his walk, passing by many of the shops and restaurants that were there.

People who'd passed by him didn't notice him at first glance – perhaps they weren't expecting him to be there, thinking he'd be regaling like a king up at the palace – until they did a double take, looking behind them as he continued to stroll away from them. Other people waved hello, some wanted to shake his hand and children were begging him to show them his glider. He smiled and waved at those who did first, he stood for pictures and did demonstrations of his bending skills. And as if it wasn't enough that he was already doing all those things, girls from every corner of the festival (he was pretty sure they'd abandoned whatever it was they'd been doing at that time and boot the first sign they heard he was there) were demanding hugs – tight embraces that he'd have to leech himself free – while some of the even braver ones requested he'd kissed them.

Of course, he ran away before he had to resort to _that_. He dashed into a random booth, waited as the girls ran off; screaming after him for more hugs (and kisses). When they were gone, Aang sighed with relief, sagging against the side of the booth as though that crazy experience had totally knocked the wind out of him, rendering him completely exhausted.

"Here for your fortune, young Avatar?" said a voice, causing Aang to fall backwards in surprise. When he regained his balance, he half expected a group of girls to be standing before him, with their arms outstretched, ready to receive their hugs (and their kisses), but that wasn't who was sitting there.

"Aunt Wu!" said Aang, feeling a wave of relief that it wasn't another crowd of girls who wanted him to hug and kiss them. He cleared his voice and when he spoke, his voice was lower so as not to be heard, "I mean… hi Aunt Wu, long time no see."

The elder woman looked amused. "Hello, Aang," she said, smiling. "Hiding from someone?"

"You could say that," said Aang.

"Well, take a seat! It has certainly been a while – my, my, have you grown!" she said. "You look so handsome!"

Aang rubbed the back of his head bashfully. "Thanks. Um… so how's the fortunetelling business coming along?" he asked.

"It's going just splendid actually!" said Aunt Wu excitedly. "I'm making my own line of fortune cookies now, isn't that great?"

"Yeah…" said Aang while he shifted in his spot, "that does sound great."

"But… why do you look so unhappy then?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

Aang blinked. "Huh?"

Aunt pointed at him. "Your face… I don't need to read your palm to be able to tell that there's something bothering you," she said knowingly. "Is there anything I can do? Would you like a fortune maybe? It's free." She held up a deck of tarot cards, smiling hopefully at him. "Or would you prefer the bone cracking method or perhaps consulting the crystal ball for some guidance?"

Aang shook his head at all of these suggestions. The last time he'd asked to receive a reading on his future she'd only told him about something he'd already knew, the world he had to save and his role in its survival – he knew that all. And furthermore, her predictions of the volcano not erupting had certainly gone up in smokes, and he was most certain that the computation she'd given him concerning his love life was simply a line she'd drawn at random; another hocus pocus pulled out from under her sleeves.

"No, it's okay," he said.

"Then what is it?" she asked as she stashed away her things under the table. "Maybe I can still be of some help."

"Um… well… it's complicated," he admitted as he squirmed uneasily in his seat.

"I know complicated," said Aunt Wu, folding her hands under her chin, "I have been here for a long time, my boy, and I've seen many things."

"Well," Aang began apprehensively, "it's… just… m-my friend… well, you see, I – I mean _he's_ in love with this girl – my – _his_ best friend; they've been through everything together… and well… h-he doesn't know… I mean… he can't seem to find—"

"He can't seem to find the words to tell her how he feels?" supplied Aunt Wu helpfully.

Aang nodded. "Y-Yeah… I'm – _he's_ crazy about her, has been for years actually…" he said as he looked down at his lap. "He doesn't want to lose her, but every time he lets her pass without her knowing… he… feels…"

"Like she's slipping away each time he lets her go," said Aunt Wu, nodding knowingly.

"Yes," said Aang, swallowing. "A-And just recently I – _he_ found out that she… she's not _happy_… and well… he doesn't know why."

"Ah, that does sound complicated," Aunt Wu agreed.

Aang nodded. "W-What should I – I mean _he_ do, Aunt Wu?" he asked.

"Well, tell your friend to tell the girl he loves her," said Aunt Wu simply.

"But… I'm not… _he's _not exactly… well… he's kind of a wimp you could say," said Aang lamely. "I mean… what if she doesn't feel the same way? What if he tells her but winds up losing her anyway?"

Aunt Wu sighed. "My dear, if everyone was too afraid to do anything then nothing in this world could move on," she said. "Your friend has to tell this girl how he feels, before it's too late. What if she does feel the same and he doesn't know – they'd only both wind up hurting one another and themselves. And if she does feel the same… she might get tired of waiting and move on and your friend would only be blaming himself for not telling her sooner."

Aang had a sudden flash of his dream a few hours ago pass through his eyes.

"Aang, love waits for no one," said Aunt Wu sadly. "Nor does it wait for them to have enough courage to say what it is that's in their hearts. So, do not fear that she may not feel the same way, just fear what might happen if she does and you do not tell her." Aunt Wu smiled. "And I'm pretty sure that Katara will understand, Aang, no matter what you tell her."

"Yeah… I guess." Then Aang looked up, wide eyes, realizing what he'd just said – what _she_ just said. "H-How do you… I mean… I don't remember ever—"

Aunt Wu smiled. "Conflict isn't the only thing that's obvious on your face," she told him.

"W-What? If you knew who I was talking about then why didn't you say so instead of making me talk on and on like a total moron?" he grumbled as Aunt Wu laughed. "But… that doesn't explain why she looked so sad though," said Aang after a moment of intense embarrassment.

"You're the Avatar," said Aunt Wu, "shouldn't you know by now?"

But Aang had no clue; he kept drawing blanks until finally his brain exploded with all the unneeded question marks.

"Here," said Aunt Wu, who noticed the pained look on his face. She pressed something into his hand as she stood up. "It'll help."

Aang watched as she went into the back of the booth and he looked at what she had given to him; there, in his hand, was a cookie, with a slip of paper in its pleat. He took it, unraveled the paper and read its message:

_Follow your heart and you will be with the one you love… _

Aang smiled as he got up and left the booth. Then he noticed there was something else scribbled on the other side, the handwriting splotchy like it had been done in the last minute:

_If that fails… there's always presents! _And beside that was a drawn picture of a smiley face.

"Thanks, Aunt Wu," he said, glancing back at the shop once more before walking off, but not before grabbing a hat off the rack and yanking it tightly over his head.

* * *

However, as easy as that bit of advice had been to read, it certainly wasn't as easy to find, especially in a wide range of thrift shops that had everything from smelly perfumes to overly-sweetened cupcakes. Aang went through each of these, one by one, with his hopes depleting each time he saw one particular present he thought Katara might like before finally disregarding it as another reject and moved on to the next item that was on sale.

He was just about to lose all hope until he came across the last store of that district of the festival. He walked through the veil that covered the entrance to the booth, and he stepped inside, adjusting his hat quickly and pulling down his sleeves so as to hide the conspicuous arrows coming down his forehead and his arms.

Inside the shop were all kinds of an unusual trinkets and looming near the back he could smell roasted duck being cook under a hot stove. Aang moved around, looking up and down at the various shelves and glanced at a few items here or there. Then he saw something near the side, where there was a whole stash of different colored stones – some were even braided together to form a necklace or a bracelet, others had added accessories onto them like beads or threads of silver and gold. Aang picked up one with a blue stone woven at the middle and was briefly reminded of Katara again and the azure haze of her blue eyes.

"Hello!" greeted a girl, who had long, dark hair, held back by single braid. Aang thumped his head on a nearby shelf – surprise was not even _close_ to the word he was looking for and humility was far from how he felt when he resurfaced, red face and a sporting bump on his head. The girl gave Aang an apologetic smile. "Can I help you with anything?"

"Um… well, that is…" he floundered for what to say, feeling more ridiculous now and thinking this girl was probably rubbing her nose in disdain at how totally inept he was by doing that. However the girl simply smiled at him kindly.

"Are you looking for anything in particular?" she asked.

"Yeah, I am," said Aang, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Um… I was just wondering… um… what would be the best suitable gift a guy could give to a girl?"

"Oh!" said the girl brightly. "I could help you with that." She moved across the table to search through the piles of boxes laden everywhere. "So, what is this girl to you?"

"Pardon?" said Aang, who'd been distracted by a rather strange statue at the corner and had barely heard correctly.

The girl came around the front with a few boxes in her arms. "The girl you want to give a present to," she said. "What's you're relationship with her? Is she your girlfriend?"

Aang blushed red. "Um… no," he stuttered, "s-she's not my girlfriend. She's, uh… my best friend."

"Huh. That's new," said the girl, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Most of the guys that come in here are usually looking for something that they can give their girlfriends."

Aang's face, still red, shook his head. "No, she's not my girlfriend," he repeated, his voice slightly hoarse. "S-She's just a friend… a really close friend."

"Okay," said the girl cheerfully. She opened the boxes that were in front of her, shuffling her hand inside it for a bit, before speaking again, "Now, describe to me what she's like, your friend."

"Um…" began Aang awkwardly, wondering how one can compensate in a few words to describe Katara – the list was endless and would be long and meaningless if he went on about her because, really, he could. Not to mention, it'd probably give this girl the creepy impression that he was some sort of stalker – which he _wasn't_.

"Is she smart? Is she pretty? What does she love to do? Things like that," said the girl helpfully.

"Uh… well," Aang stammered. What was wrong with him? He wondered. He was so tongue-tied that evening – _get it together, Aang! You need to do this!_ "Well, she's… just… extraordinary," he began softly.

"Like how?" asked the girl patiently. "Is she an actress? Is she a painter? A writer? What makes her so extraordinary?"

_She's just… **Katara**… _

"She's… always so caring; she always listens to my problems and is always there whenever I need her," said Aang, looking at the blue-stoned bracelet he was still holding. "She's just… amazing… I-I don't even think I could describe just how much, but she's…like no one else… one of a kind. She's so beautiful, so brave, so strong… she never holds down at what she believes is right. She's the only who'd never stopped believing in me even when most people had…" He sighed. "She… she means a lot to me, more than anything… a-and I want to be able to tell her that."

"Wow…" said the girl quietly, her face in complete awe. "You must love her."

"I do," Aang agreed softly, unhesitant.

The girl cleared her throat and smiled again. "I have just the thing," she said. She went to the back again and when she returned she was holding a small brown chest. She placed it in front of him before opening it. Inside was a silver chain with a heart dangling in the middle; at the centre of the heart was a painted image of a lock. The girl took the necklace from where it laid on the velvet cushions and delicately lowered it into his hands. "This is an antique which used to belong to one of the earth-benders in my village before it was entrusted to me. I want you to have it."

"W-What?" Aang shook his head. "I can't take this."

"Sure you can," said the girl. "By giving this to your friend you'd be giving away your heart as well, as if to tell her that she is the only one who holds the key to it." Aang looked at the necklace in awe – he had to agree, it was a beautiful trinket and was, by the far, the best out of anything he'd came across. There was no possible way he could find something this perfect as this.

"I'll take it," he said finally. The girl grinned, pleased.

"Song?" Someone from the back called to her. An elder woman poked her head through the door. "Do you mind – oh!" She saw Aang. "Hello! I'm sorry… I didn't know my daughter was busy."

"I've just about finished, mom," said the girl Song. "I was just giving this boy the perfect gift to give to his best friend."

Aang smiled, feeling weird as the woman said brightly, "Oh that's wonderful, what did you give him?"

"This," said Aang, holding up the necklace.

The woman seemed to recognize it almost instantly. She looked to her daughter for a moment and a few minutes passed by them where they said nothing, as if they were having a silent conversation with their eyes. Aang felt immediately uncomfortable, thinking maybe the mother didn't want to give this old necklace away and was silently berating her daughter for trying to sell it. He was just about to put it down when the woman finally spoke:

"Oh, that's wonderful," she said. "That girl must be really special."

"She sure is," said Song with a grin. She looked at Aang. "Anything else you'd like?"

Aang shook his head. "No, this is all," he said.

"Alright, that will be one hundred gold coins!" she said cheerfully, causing Aang to blanch, nearly falling forward. Song laughed. "Kidding! For you, I'll charge it only twenty, how's that sound?"

"Alright," said Aang, relieved. If he DID have to pay that many gold coins he'd have dried his wallet clean for the next million years. He purchased the necklace as Song packaged said item in a small, black velvety case. Before he walked out, he realized that he was still holding the blue-stoned bracelet in his hand and went back to return it immediately.

Song simply shook her head. "Take it," she said. "It's free."

"Oh! Wait!" said the mother, who'd returned the front of the store, carrying a bag that smelt of duck dumplings. "Take these too."

"Thanks," said Aang with a smile. "See you around!"

As soon as he left, the mother rounded on her daughter. "Honestly… he can save the world, do those incredible bending, and yet he can't even tell a girl how he feels? Hm… boys these days, not like how they were forty years ago, I can tell you that."

Song simply covered her smile with her hand. "Oh, I'm pretty sure things will work out," she said confidently. "I have no doubt."

* * *

As he left the shop, Aang felt even more lighthearted – his hand wrapped around the velvet box for reassurance – and furthermore his disguise had worked, a complete success!

"Aang!"

Aang turned around and saw Sokka running toward him, waving. Not too far behind him was Haru. As soon as they reached him, Sokka took one good look at him before scrunching up his nose in disgust.

"What," he said, his voice emphasizing each syllable slowly, "in the world are you wearing?" Both he and Haru were gazing at his hat with identical expressions of someone who'd just been hit in the face, pained and undeniably repulsed.

"This?" said Aang, looking at his hat. "It's my disguise; I borrowed it from Aunt Wu. What?" he snapped, a little indignant when their expressions didn't waver. "Girls were going crazy, I needed something! What would you've done?"

"I'd have let them take me," said Sokka, grinning. "I wouldn't mind being held hostage for the rest of my life if it'd meant being around beautiful babes!"

Aang rolled his eyes. "Trust me," he said firmly. "These girls would have definitely driven you mad."

"Speaking of girls," spoke up Haru suddenly.

"What?" said Aang, looking at him. "Girls?" Haru simply cast a side-ways glance over at Sokka, grinning slyly while the other boy jerked his head away, his cheeks slightly tinged with pink. Aang raised a brow at him and then looked to Haru again. "What happened?"

"Well," said Haru slowly, looking at Sokka as though he half-expected the other boy to take over. When he didn't, Haru sighed, "Sokka kissed a girl at the kissing booth."

Aang's curiosity was rising fast and he briefly gazed at Sokka again, as if waiting to confirm this. Sokka didn't reply, but merely scowled, his cheeks growing a darker shade of red.

"So," said Aang finally, not sure he was getting this, "is this… um… supposed to be a problem?"

Sokka's scowl grew deeper.

"The girl he kissed was _Ty Lee_," said Haru, who was now grinning.

"Ty lee?" Aang's eyes exploded, remembering her long thick braid and of course, her affinity for anything pink. "Are you serious?" he demanded. He looked at Sokka, whose face was like nothing he'd ever seen – so red, and the fact that his scowl had reached impossible lengths down his face had proven that Sokka and Haru couldn't have gotten anymore serious than this. Finally, Aang allowed a little smile to reveal. "Was it that bad?" he asked, looking at Haru for an explanation.

However, this time it was Sokka who chose to reply, his voice begrudging, "No, it wasn't," he said. "It was… incredible! And the fact that I enjoyed – err – not entirely hated it… well…" he trailed off and glared down at his shoes, as if it was simply killing him to admit this. "I can't believe… out of all the girls, arrgh! Why did it have to be her? She made my arms all limb once damnit!" he added finally, as though this last cry of indignity was enough evidence that what he'd done was a crime.

"Is that supposed to be the bad part?" asked Aang quietly.

"No, oh no… that was only the beginning," said Sokka. "Suki saw me with her and she flipped out! And trust me, I didn't stick around to watch those two try and kill each other."

"Oh…" said Aang.

There was silence as all three of them simply stood there. As usual, Sokka was the one who broke the tension.

"C'mon," he muttered, "let's go grab some booze."

Haru frowned. "Are you sure you're allowed?"

"I'm nineteen and you're what – in your twenties?" Sokka shrugged. "We're adults now!"

"Uh… what about Aang?" said Haru. "He's still not of age."

"What? What do mean he's not of age? He's _116 years old_ for goodness sakes! I say he's more than qualified," said Sokka. "Besides, he's the Avatar; they're bound to let him off easy."

Aang made a face. "You rely on my title too much, Sokka," he said. "I swear it's not going to get to you everywhere in life."

"Well, you're not the one who just kissed the girl who _used_ to be our mortal enemy," Sokka retorted. "Now, all I want to do is get bloody drunk so that I can forget this traumatic experience had ever happened, okay?"

Both Aang and Haru watched him wearily as he stormed away, muttering to himself. It wasn't long until they sighed, having no choice on the matter but to follow Sokka.

An hour later, they were sitting on a table park bench with about ten-fifteen – probably more – cans of beer splayed everywhere, most of the drunk by Sokka, who seemed to think drowning himself in alcohol, was the only way to stop himself from thinking about Ty Lee and their "forbidden kiss." Now, he was lulling from side to side, totally and utterly drunk, just about ready to keel over and call it lights out, but he kept drinking as if by going beyond the very threshold of tolerance he could permanently forget about his so-called crime. Aang never knew a single kiss could drive someone to do the craziest thing imaginable.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, the part which was still aware of their surroundings and was _not_ singing tunelessly to a song Aang, Haru – or the whole bloody human race for that matter – could hardly understand, Haru was biding his time with his own drink, having a already a few, however knowing where his limit stood; his eyes kept warily wandering back and forth to Sokka, as if expecting the other boy to fall over backwards any time soon. Aang on the other hand could barely ingest the stale, not to mention the not so-satisfying and slightly gagging, substance, let alone gorge it down his throat at such gusto speed.

And, what's more, as if the night wasn't strange enough already, sitting next to him – of all people – was King Bumi, who was consuming beer can after beer can as if he expected to exceed Sokka's limitation on the consummation of alcoholic beverages; even singing along with to Sokka's nameless, tuneless song.

"Aww… maan," Sokka slurred as he leaned forward on the table, "…I… caandt berrlieve… I'm… still… tinkin' 'bout… 'err…"

"'Bout whoo?" King Bumi asked, his eye twitching as his head quirked to the side, almost as though one side weighed more than the other. "Isshee a gurrl, Sokut?"

_Sokut?_ Aang thought, staring at the two with disbelief. How the heck was possible these two were still able to converse after drinking so much alcohol, and moreover how was it they were still alive?

Sokka opened his mouth, his finger raised as though to make a point before he swayed onto the side, shaking his head slowly.

"Yuh knoo… I… 'ave… no ideeea…" he muttered. His brows creased and for a minute he looked like he was in pain. Then he spoke up, his voice more slurred than ever, "I wanna… forget…'bout err… butt…I caandt… yuh knoo wut I mean, Bum Bum?"

_Bum Bum?_ Aang cleared his throat.

King Bumi threw his head back and snorted. "Heheh… yuh said… yuh said… Bum Bum!" he giggled. "Bum Bum! Hahaha!"

Sokka seemed to realize this too. "Ooh… yeh… I did, didndt I?" he said and began to smile widely. "Hahaha! I called yuh a bum!"

"Letserr 'ave 'nother round," said King Bumi, raising a beer can up high. "Terr… love… an' may… man… uhh… find therr duckees!"

Aang looked to Haru, who didn't look as though he understood that either. And Aang was sure Sokka didn't know; much less understand half of the things _he _was saying. Sure enough, Sokka stood up, staggering slightly as he fought for whatever balance he still had left in his legs and raised an empty beer can to the sky.

"Yuh… terr love!" he cried passionately, scaring several flocks from their nest as he did. King Bumi was at his side in an instant – a motion Aang wasn't sure he thought was possible – and placed a hand over Sokka's shoulder.

"Yuhr… da… best… Sokkut," he said.

Sokka grinned and placed a hand on King Bumi's other shoulder. "Yerr duh best too… uhh… what's yerr name 'gain?" he asked, looking at the old king confused.

King Bumi tapped his chin, unsure as well. "I dunno… somethin' badass I tink…" he said with drunken certainty.

"OK… I'll juss caller yuh… Bum then…" said Sokka. "Isser dat fine?"

"Suure, I liker dat name, Sokut," said King Bumi, nodding. He raised his can again. "Cheers!"

"Cheers!" said Sokka, just as enthusiastic and knocked beer cans with him before bring said beverage towards his lips. When nothing came, he immediately became annoyed. "Whaterr hell? Lookers like we raan out of 'em beers, Bum!" He began to get off the bench, but didn't get that far before tripping over on the pavement. "Oof!"

Haru and Aang were by his side in an instant, helping him to his feet. King Bumi was clutching his stomach, laughing hysterically.

"Okay," said Haru firmly to Sokka, "I think that's enough drinking for you."

"Nuuuu!" Sokka protested, doing his best to throw them aside. "I err need summore!"

Aang made a face; Sokka reeked of alcohol and it was not becoming.

"C'mon, Sokka," said Aang tiredly, "We have a big day tomorrow and I don't think you'd like to start it off by having a killer headache in the morning."

However, Sokka didn't appear to be listening. Instead, he cried out some more, his voice practically echoing throughout the district, causing several of the people nearby to stare at them in alarm, "I wanna beeer! Summore! Summore!" He was beginning to sound like an over-emotional toddler with a tantrum.

Aang sighed heavily, thinking this was definitely going to be a long night for the both of them. He looked at Haru. "What do you think we should do with him?" he asked. "He's obviously not going to come willingly."

Haru smirked. "Are you saying we knock him out?"

"No!" Aang objected, looking horrified that Haru had even suggested such a thing, but then seeing Haru's risen brow, he admitted, softly, "Well… if nothing else works."

"Yuh knoo wut… I tink?" said Sokka, pointing an accusing finger at Aang's nose. "Yerr a poooo, Aaaang."

King Bumi was dying now, banging his fists onto the table as he laughed and snorted uncontrollably. He pointed a shakey, ringed finger at Aang – actually it was pointing toward Haru but Aang knew Bumi was indicating at him.

"Hehehe yerr a poo, Aaang!" he said with glee.

"Thanks, Bumi," said Aang flatly as the old king continued doubling over in violent fits of mirth. "C'mon, Sokka," he added, looking to other boy at his arm, "let's get you cleaned up."

"Nuu…" he moaned, shaking his head. "Ierr need terr say dis…" He was holding himself up by gripping onto Aang's robes with a tight fist.

"Whatever its, Sokka," said Aang, "it can wait. Now let's get you back to the palace—"

"I said nuu damnit!" Sokka snapped. He waddled a warning finger at Aang, nearly jabbing him in the eye. "It's 'bout Kataraa…"

Aang looked at him, as did Haru.

"...whatserr keepin' you, maan?" said Sokka, looking lazily into Aang's eyes, however despite his drunken state Aang had never seen him so serious before. "Why dun yeerr jus' teller how yuh feel 'bout 'err?"

"Um… what?" said Aang, shifting his eyes at Haru, completely aware that he could hear everything. "I don't… I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."

Sokka scowled and the grip on his robes grew tighter. "Whu are yuh foolin', Aaang?" he demanded. "Me orr yuh? Stopper denyin' it aready… I know 'bout it… every one duz… so whaterr yuh waitin' ferr?"

Aang reached into his pockets where he could feel the velvety case against his fingers and then at Sokka, who was struggling to keep his gaze at him.

"Let 'err know…" he said, "other wise… yuh'll lose err ferr good…an' Ierr definitely dun want Zu Zu terr be my broder in laaw…"

"Zu Zu?" said Haru, his brows disappearing behind his bandana. Sokka began to keel over again and Haru quickly grabbed his arm, keeping him firm on his feet.

Aang watched as Haru helped Sokka back on the bench, and this time, the other boy did not protest, instead welcomed the solid support. It would seem that that last outburst had taken a lot out of him, but it was the first time Aang felt that his eyes had properly been opened. He realized that Sokka and the rest of the world may not be as ignorant when it came to his feelings for Katara as he'd thought they were, in fact they seemed to know more about it than he did. Sokka was right however, Katara wasn't going to wait forever for him to make up his mind.

King Bumi took a seat beside him on the concrete with a beer in his hand. For a moment, they didn't say a word, until he said, "It's not too late, you know. You could still tell her how you feel."

"What if I make a mistake?" said Aang, staring down at his hands. "I don't want to screw things up, not with Katara…"

"You're bound to make mistakes some time, Aang," said Bumi, taking a sip of his beer. "It's part of being human. Being too afraid to take chances and make mistakes it's like saying you're too afraid to live life." He looked at Aang and smiled. "Being an air-bender, I think you know that better than anyone."

Aang didn't reply, merely kept his eyes on the ground.

"No one's perfect, so it'd be impossible if Katara is expecting you to be. And anyway, I don't think Katara is that kind of girl," said Bumi. He looked at Aang again, and this time he placed a hand on his shoulder. "And who knows?" He shrugged, smiling. "She may even feel the same."

"How do I know though? What if—"

"You _don't_ know, that's the thing," said King Bumi firmly. "That's the reason why chances exist, because they are there for you to take despite not knowing what awaits for you on the other end. And enough with the 'what ifs' already – if you let that stop you then you'll never get anywhere." He handed Aang a can of beer, who took it without protest. "You know what they say… it's better to have loved than to not have loved at all."

Aang frowned, suddenly noticing something. "Hey, I thought you were drunk?" he said.

King Bumi snorted. "I've told you already: messing with people is fun!" Aang rolled his eyes. "C'mon, drink, drink!" he said, prodding his chin at the drink. "Hell… you look like you need it."

"But I'm under aged," said Aang. "Aren't you supposed to be telling me _not_ to drink?"

"And since when have I ever told you what to do?" said King Bumi, raising a questioning brow at him. "You're old enough to make your own decisions. Just don't forget this." And he placed a hand over Aang's heart.

Aang stared and then smiled. "Thanks, Bumi," he said.

"Yeah, yeah, don't get sappy," said King Bumi. "Now drink!"

Aang lifted the can to his lips and drank; mulling over Bumi's words of taking chances, making mistakes and what it meant to truly live life… he was an air bender, wasn't he? To flow with the wind and go wherever it may take him; to be alive and free… without fear, nor without regret, that was who he was.

* * *

Okay maybe when Bumi had said to make decisions using his heart, maybe he also meant to add a bit of intelligence to those decisions while he was at it.

It was too late, however, and by the time he'd finished with the first can – the stale taste non-existent to him – he'd moved onto the next one, and then the next one, and then another after that. Soon, upon his fourth or fifth can, his visualization became slightly hazy around the edges, contorting into different shapes Aang no longer recognized.

He was slightly aware that he'd gotten up to leave at some point because now he was staggering blindly down the halls of the palace. He wished the minor spinning of his world would stop, at least for a moment; it was making him feel sick not to mention making it difficult for him to navigate.

"Bugger—"he muttered when he bumped, rather unceremoniously into the wall…or was it another door? He couldn't really tell anymore. This wasn't the first time he'd run into something solid, however, and he was beginning to get impatient. Finally, for what felt like hours of blind search (and painful bumping) Aang reached the corridor where just further down it was the door to his room – at least, he thought this was where his room was.

He fumbled with the door, but – like everything else – it was being extremely difficult and wouldn't open for him. Finally, he got fed up. He leaped to the side, stretched his palm just beneath the handle and lit a tiny flame just next to it; he watched as the handle gradually grew hotter and hotter, until it was sizzling and cooking and became nothing more than a scorching piece of metal on the floor at his feet. Maybe, if he was a little more sober (well, he was… but the haziness wasn't helping in the least) he'd have thought better to use a key; in the meantime, however, Aang was quite pleased with his handiwork, grinning proudly as he pushed the door open.

Inside was dark and cool. The window just across from him was opened, the silver white curtains flowing along with the breeze. Had they left the window open? He wondered, but he didn't think too much on it, simply assumed that they did and proceeded to walk further inside. He threw his shirt off, letting it fall onto the floor before throwing himself onto the mattress, tugging the sheets over his waist and enjoying the feel of soft pillows against him. He was just about ready to fall asleep when he heard – no _felt_ – someone shuffle next to him.

There was a pause and then:

"A-Aang? I-Is that _you_?"

Aang opened his eyes and looked beside him, feeling as a prickle of fear, surprise, shock – whatever – overcome him and suddenly he wasn't so sleepy anymore. Sitting beside him, looking like she didn't know what he was doing here, was Katara. Aang had to squint a bit, because her face wasn't so clear in his vision, but when he peered closer – to the blue nightgown and her hair, which was down… and those familiar blue eyes – he knew that, yes, this was in fact Katara who was lying next to him in bed.

He should have been embarrassed, should be blushing to the very roots of his – head and muttering blatantly his apologies, but something about her just being there with him had pushed any kinds of feelings of shamefulness behind, leaving him with feelings of complete happiness.

"Katara…?" he mumbled. "What… are you doing in… my room?"

She looked puzzled. "Your room?" she said. "T-This is _my_ room."

There was a pause as this finally registered to him. "Oh…" That would explain why the door wouldn't open for him before. Aang looked away, the shame coming back at full blast. "S-Sorry…I'll…g-go…"

He staggered to get up out of bed, but he couldn't – the spinning had gotten worse and he winded up on the floor. Katara gasped and jumped out of bed, coming to his side and shaking his shoulders for him to open his eyes.

"Aang? Aang!" she whispered frantically. "Are you okay? _Aang!_"

Aang peaked one eye open and saw her face clearly; she looked so worried, her blue eyes round and her long hair falling over her face. He had a sudden impulse to brush it away, and so he did – an action he wouldn't have dared in the world try if he was fully aware of himself. Katara's expression (he couldn't tell, it went blurry again) shifted slightly, her eyes becoming softer and her breath suddenly faint. Then she frowned.

"A-Are you drunk?" she said, her voice exasperated.

Aang shook his head and did his best to sit upright. "N-No…" he muttered. "Not drunk… just a bit… tipsy is all."

Katara didn't look too sure, her frown deepening. "You're not of age," she said, looking at him suspiciously. "How did you get—"

"Sokka," Aang said, his head swaying a little, "he…got the booze…"

"Sokka," said Katara under her breath, "I should have known." She sighed and helped him to his feet nonetheless; her arms coming around his waist and hoisting him up (with immense difficulty) to stand. "C'mon," she said, "I'll take you to your room."

She kept her arms around him, however, to ensure he didn't collapse again and prodded him gently to take a step forward.

As he did so, he mumbled, "Katara?"

"Hm?"

He looked at her, but she didn't seem to be paying too much attention and kept her eyes trained up ahead of them. Even in the darkness, Aang thought she looked very beautiful, and so whether he'd remember it or not he told her that. Katara nearly stubbed her toe on something; she looked at him, her eyes growing wide again and her cheeks pinker than he'd ever seen in his life.

"I…" she began, and then she shook her head vigorously, muttering repeatedly to herself, "He's drunk! He's drunk!"

Aang shook his head, just as strongly. "No!" he said. "Not drunk…"

Katara took a few moments to calm herself down, before she said, her voice slightly shaky, "C'mon, Aang…l-let's get you to bed, okay?"

He protested and for a second he felt sad. "Are… you mad at me?" She looked surprised. He felt fueled on (probably from the beer) to continue, "You… won't look at…me… a-and… you looked so… sad… are…are you mad?" Katara was no shifting uncomfortably next to him. "'Cause… don't… I-I can't… take it when… you're… sad, Katara…"

Katara helped him walk forward again. It seemed that if she distracted herself and kept walking, she wouldn't have to mull over all the crazy things he was saying, which in his opinion was not crazy. When they reached the foot of his room, she said, finally, "N-No…I'm not mad, Aang. I…I'm sorry… I was just…" she sighed, as he waited expectantly, despite his vision spinning all around him. Then she shook her head. "It's nothing. C'mon."

Aang wondered briefly what it was she was going to say, however the idea was lost him in an instant as Katara's strong arms held him upright.

"Aang," she said. "Aang."

"Huuuh?" he mumbled, jerking.

"Your keys," she said. "I need it to open the door."

"I…I don't 'ave it," he slurred slightly, patting his pants pocket for emphasis. "Must…be with Sokka…"

Katara cursed, muttering incessant promises to kill her brother the next time she saw him.

"S'ok," Aang told her and lifted his hand near the handle, "I've got it… covered." He lit another flame beside it and watched as it melted onto the floor, much in the same fashion as the other one. He pushed the door open and grinned at Katara goofily. "See? Easy."

Katara on the other hand looked exasperated; she seemed to be considering what Lord Iroh would do to them if he ever found out that they destroyed one of his exteriors. She sighed long and heavily before dragging him along inside with her. She helped him into bed before walking towards the window and opening it. Aang hummed content as he snuggled close into the pillows, vaguely aware that Katara had walked back and had taken a seat next to him.

She was watching him, her blue eyes soft. She reached her hand across and hesitantly touched his face. Aang leaned into her touch automatically, and Katara let her hand drift across his cheeks, down his chin… Aang, at last became aware she was next to him, and looked up at her, his own eyes half-opened.

"Aang," she whispered, taking his hand in hers. She seemed to be thinking over something.

"Katara?" he murmured, a little concern.

Katara swallowed – at least… he thought she did. "A-Aang," she began again. "D-Do you l-like me?"

Now, Aang thought this was a strange question to ask. His brows furrowed slightly. "Yeah… course…I like you, Ka…Katara…"

Katara shook her head. "I mean… d-do… you like me, like me?" she said again, "A-As in…m-more than a friend?"

Again… another weird question. "Course I like you more… y-you're my best…friend…" he murmured, getting sleepy.

Katara's grip in his hand grew tighter. "D-Do you love me?" she said.

There was a long pause in which he didn't say anything and where she didn't say anything; the only sound reverberating between them was their mingled breaths and the wind blowing in from the window. Aang took a moment to think, not really sure anymore what was going on around him… he was getting sleepy… very sleepy…

Then finally he heard Katara shake her head, expelling a breath she'd been holding.

"Never mind," she muttered. "I'm so sorry, Aang… I shouldn't be asking…shouldn't be taking advantage…" she sighed, squeezed his hand just one more time before she stood up, getting ready to leave.

But his hand shot out in the darkness, grabbing her back. Katara looked incredibly surprised, if not shock, by his sudden impulse.

"Don't…leave…" he said. He couldn't see what her expression was this time. "Katara… stay…"

"Aang." Her voice sounded disapproving, maybe a little nervous. "You're drunk."

Aang's eyes were closed and he shook his head against his pillows, trying to get her to come back.

"Not drunk…" he mumbled. "Come back… please…"

He heard Katara sigh and sat back down beside him. Aang moved over to give her some room, and after a minute or two of silent hesitation she joined him. Aang smiled a little as he felt her ease into the blankets. Another pause where neither of them spoke until:

"Katara?"

"Hm?" she responded.

"Are you awake?"

"Yeah… I am," she said.

"Okay."

Pause.

"Yes," he said, speaking clear into the darkness. He turned his head to look at her. She was staring up at the ceiling, refusing to look at him. "Yes," he repeated. And when she turned her head, she looked at him oddly.

"Yes what, Aang?" she said.

"Yes," said Aang, nearing closer to her, his voice deeper and softer, "I…do love you."

There was another moment where he simply watched her and she looked at him back, her eyes contracting and her breath cut short. Maybe in another time, where he wasn't lightheaded and she wasn't in her nightgown he'd have considered twice about voicing this. However, he couldn't control these sudden impulses to touch her, to tell her she was beautiful… and to tell her he loved her… maybe it was the alcohol that was fueling him to do the impossible, to do the things he wouldn't normally ever _dreamed_ of doing if his head had been clearer and his vision wasn't so splotchy.

Then she looked away, her eyes distant.

"You're drunk," she stated flatly. Aang wondered just how long she was going to keep saying that he was when he wasn't…wasn't he?

Aang shook his head. "I love you…" he told her again, honestly, desperately. "I have since forever… you mean the world to me, more than life… more than anything…"

Katara's expression was unreadable, or maybe it's because he could no longer tell anymore what it was she was feeling. Whatever or however she'd looked, he no longer had possession over himself and what he was doing or thinking for that matter.

He leaned into her, felt as her breath stopped in her throat and took in that familiar scent that was no one else's but Katara before his lips captured hers in the sweetest of kisses. First it was a mere brush of their mouths touching, and then he was pressing, deeper and deeper, devouring her taste and melding it with his. Katara's restraint broke and she was kissing him back with equal fiber and yearning, her hands coming up around him and pulling him closer and closer as it was humanly possible. Years of unspoken passion shattered lose in that moment in time as their lips collided, with his hands woven into her mass of curls, down her neck and back up her face, enjoying the feel of their heartbeats beating together as one. This wasn't like the kiss they shared in the cave of the Two Lovers; that kiss had been forced under the circumstances of their situation, a light touch of her lips against his. However, not this kiss… not like this kiss at all, this one was mind-blowing, extraordinary… something he didn't think either of them could ever take back.

It felt like hours, or maybe it was really seconds – however long it had been… Katara was the first to pull away.

"S-Stop…" she said, gasping for air, "A-Aang, t-this is wrong… we have to stop…"

Aang wasn't listening though; he'd just had a taste of what it was to finally take Katara in his arms and kiss her, kiss her without thought, without regret – something he should have done before – and now he couldn't get enough of it. He leaned in to kiss her again, but Katara pushed him back firmly, her hands coming to his chest and stopping him there.

He opened his eyes and saw that she looked conflicted, so deeply anguished and guilty.

"Y-You're drunk," she whispered faintly. "I-I shouldn't have…I shouldn't have…"

"I told you," he growled, getting frustrated, "I'm not drunk! J-Just… dizzy…"

But Katara was shaking her head and looking frantic. "This is wrong… so wrong…" she kept muttering. "You don't know what you're doing! And I took advantage of you."

Aang felt hurt, probably looked it too. "Y-You don't feel the same?" he said. "You don't…"

Katara looked startled and stared at him, her face red with shame. "I-I love you…I do…" she said. And she smiled slightly. "I…always have." And with that, she leaned into him again, her lips touching his as she kissed him deeply.

Aang felt his heart lift, felt like he was on air, and soon he was back against the pillows, sleep overcoming his senses. She'd said she loved him! He thought as he shut his eyes, so unbelievably happy with this.

She said she loved him… _him_!

He finally allowed darkness to take him, the last he saw being her face and those clear blue eyes.

When he awoke the next day, the sun was bright through the curtains and he was alone.

* * *

A/N: Yes! Third chapter done, along with the long-awaited kiss! This was actually the easiest chapter for me to write, not to mention the longest – it was 25 pages long, but for some reason I got this finished a lot quicker before I finished chapter two! Crazy huh? Well, I hope you enjoyed this; it's my favorite part so far!

Anyway, review please and let me know what you think!

Next chapter: part four! The conclusion!


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